Old Abingdon Road in South Hinksey reopens this week, marking the completion of Network Rail’s project to get up to 50,000 lorries a year off the region’s roads and onto the railway.
The £60m scheme has seen engineers working at locations from the port of Southampton through the Thames Valley and up to Nuneaton in the West Midlands, creating extra headroom through tunnels and under bridges for bigger 9’6” freight containers to be transported by rail.
Engineers have been working at the Old Abingdon Road Redbridge site since November, with the old bridge removed over Christmas and a new one lifted into place in sections in January and February.
The approach road on either side has also been rebuilt to meet the height of the new bridge.
Mindful of the impact of the closure on residents, Network Rail has worked with its contractors to ensure the bridge reopens on time, with some final touches including brickwork and cladding to be carried out once the bridge has reopened.
The road will open to traffic on Friday 22 April, two days later than planned – a feat in itself given the setbacks caused by the unprecedented cold weather which saw temperatures at the site plummet as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius in December.
Graham Beal, Network Rail project manager, said:
“The A34 is one of the most congested roads in the country and much of the traffic is HGVs transporting goods to and from Southampton port. With the cost of road congestion to the British economy estimated at more than £10bn a year, this freight upgrade will provide vital extra capacity to get freight off Oxfordshire’s roads and onto the railway.
“I’d like to thank the people of Oxford for their patience and understanding while we carry out this important work which will benefit the city for decades to come.”
