Will Oxford's Botley Road reopen to traffic this month?

Three years, five months and nine days. That is how long Oxford's Botley Road will have been closed when it is due to reopen on 20 September.

The main route into the city centre has been shut to traffic since April 2023 for Network Rail's work to upgrade Oxford railway station.

Multiple reopening dates have come and gone, with the latest postponement announced in July after gas leaks were discovered during excavation work.

The prolonged closure has spanned three prime ministers, three transport secretaries and two rail ministers.

The Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, another major Oxford construction project that began in 2023, has also been completed and opened during that time.

And as another reopening deadline approaches, questions remain over confidence in the latest timetable and who should be held accountable for the disruption caused by the project.

Network Rail has acknowledged the public's dismay.

In July, senior media relations manager James Crook said the organisation understood people were "frustrated and that confidence in the project has been affected by previous delays".

He said Network Rail remained focused on "resolving the issue safely and reopening Botley Road to traffic as quickly as possible".

"Once the work is complete, we will review the circumstances thoroughly and identify any lessons that need to be learned for future projects," he said.

Questions also remain over responsibility for the delays and rising costs. Network Rail recently said the latest estimate for Oxford Phase 2, including the Botley Road works, had risen from £161m to £237.4m.

The organisation has not provided a further update on progress towards the latest reopening date - but gas company SGN confirmed its work was completed on 3 August.

For businesses, the impact has been significant.

The Pickle and Lime grocery store closed permanenty during the disruption, while Courtney Pianos shut its showroom and has relocated to a workshop where it now focuses on restoring rather than selling pianos.

In 2025, five businesses stopped paying business rates, arguing they needed greater financial support.

The Oxford Wine Company received funding from an £850,000 government support scheme, but owner Ted Sandbach said trade remained "down almost 50%, and has been for three years".

He said much of his trade had relied on traffic driving out of Oxford and that he had considered closing the business, frustrated that the various works on Botley Road had not been completed together.

Even when the road reopens, he said, traffic restrictions in the area could continue to affect trade.

He said he had "taken the gamble" that business would pick up but could still "see ourselves closing in the next three years" unless things improved.

Political pressure has also been building.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran said she was "furious" by the latest delays and Green Party councillor Lois Muddiman said nobody she had spoken to was surprised by the announcement.

But as Oxford counts down to the latest reopening date, businesses and residents are again being asked to trust that this deadline will be the one that finally holds.