Media centre

Wednesday 16 Jun 2010

MILTON BUSINESS PARK GETS RAIL BRIDGE UPGRADE

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

A weight restriction affecting the main road into Milton Park trading estate will be removed when Network Rail replaces Potash Lane overbridge later this year.

The bridge, which carries the northbound roadway from the A34 Milton Interchange over the Great Western main line, currently has a 7.5t weight restriction in place as it was not designed to cope with the volume of traffic which uses it today. It is not feasible to strengthen the existing bridge, so the most economical long-term solution is for a new bridge to be installed in its place.

The project is being funded jointly by Network Rail and Oxfordshire County Council and will require a road closure and diversion affecting Milton Park and the nearby villages of Milton and Sutton Courtenay between October 2010 and January 2011. A traffic management plan is being drawn up which will ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum.

Oxfordshire County Council will make use of the window provided by the bridge replacement to carry out additional road improvements in the area, thereby avoiding further road closures for residents and business park employees. This will include safety barrier improvements and carriageway re-surfacing.

Network Rail’s community relations team will contact local residents in August and will be on hand to deal with any queries prior to, and during, the work. MEPC, the owners of Milton Park, have been consulted and will ensure that businesses and employees are kept informed as the project progresses.

Chris Rayner, Network Rail route director, said: "The northbound bridge at Potash Lane is no longer fit for purpose and needs to be replaced. Working with Oxfordshire County Council we’ve come up with a solution which will minimise disruption for Milton Park employees and local residents whilst ensuring the long-term future of this important transport link."

Rodney Rose, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for transport, said: "Milton Park is a vital centre for business and employment in Oxfordshire, and this is an essential project which will improve access to the park for years to come. Inevitably there will be some inconvenience and we are working closely with our partners to ensure this is kept to a minimum."

James Dipple, managing director for MEPC Milton Park, said: "At Milton Park we fully appreciate that this scheme will affect many of our occupiers and their employees. For our customers we will work with Network Rail and Oxfordshire County Council on provision of a dedicated online portal, briefings and an open day so the project can be explained. We are also investigating other initiatives to see how the impact on the community can be minimised."