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The road has been closed at the railway bridge since April last year as part of a £161m scheme to revamp the station.
In July, Network Rail announced that the route would not reopen as planned at the end of October, and a range of options for the scheme are now being investigated in a review – including postponing the work.
READ MORE: Oxford Botley Road closure: apology and update
Earlier this month, Lord Hendy, of the Department for Transport, wrote to council chiefs to say he was “acutely aware” of the disruption the closure is causing.
Now the railway authority is planning a “closure within the closure” as it must dig test holes to see if a main water connection point can be moved.
(Image: Oxford Mail) The closure will take place between Abbey Road and Mill Street between September 30 and November 1 – although this section of Botley Road will not be closed at weekends.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “The next stage of works for our Oxfordshire Connect project focuses on diverting water and sewerage from the Thames Water network which run under the railway bridge and serve thousands of of property in Oxford.
The trial bores are needed to allow Thames Water to establish the viability of moving its main water connection point further west along Botley Road towards Osney Bridge.
“We apologize for any inconvenience and thank residents and the wider community for their understanding as we carry out these vital works. We are committed to delivering this project which will bring significant benefits to Oxfordshire.”
Network Rail has not yet said when the overhaul will be completed, or when Botley Road is likely to reopen at the railway bridge.
The Oxford Mail asked Network Rail a series of questions about the project’s cost overruns and its timetable in a Freedom of Information request, but has asked for more time and has yet to respond.
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Andy is the Business and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here.
He joined the team over 20 years ago and covers community news in Oxfordshire.
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