Newbury - Replacement of Boundary Road Railway Bridge.

[Administrator]

Newbury - Replacement of Boundary Road Railway Bridge.

Work to replace the Boundary Road railway bridge is expected to start soon as the deadline for electrification draws ever nearer.

The bridge will be completely demolished and rebuilt to create clearance for the trains and the overhead wires to pass underneath the bridge. It is expected that the bridge will be reconstructed on the existing footprint, various suggestions that the bridge would be widened have been denied.

The work was originally scheduled for September 2013, but has obviously been delayed. The work is expected to take 12 weeks (3 months) to complete.

Serious traffic congestion is expected on the A339 between the Burger King and Sainsbury's Roundabouts whilst Boundary Road is closed to through traffic while the bridge is being rebuilt.

[Old Goat]

Politicians often complain that people don't bother to vote, because they think nothing ever changes.  This crass project displays exactly why.

The existing bridge is demonstrably too narrow - hence the existing traffic control.  The railway underneath is being modernised and the bridge needs to be completely replaced to increase its height.  As it will therefore be a new build, most of us realise it would cost very little, if anything to add just a few feet to its width; but no. the existing width will remain.

Crass stupidity, as they say, you couldn't make it up.

[only me]

It's a Network Rail bridge and is owned and maintained by them (much like the 'road-space' between barriers on a level crossing would be). As far as they are concerned this is a 'like for like replacement' at this location (albeit that the replacement is a modern bridge able to accommodate their infrastructure and traffic which trundles underneath)

They have no reason to extend the length of time this bridge replacement project will take as that would impact on their network.  They also have no reason to increase the cost of the project by including additional works.  A wider bridge would be more expensive, would require additional widening of bridge supports, would require significant engineering and strengthening of ancient embankments and may even require land purchase to make it a two way bridge.  Why would they do that?  The fact that traffic is held up for a bit going across it is not their concern as it only affects car users....

But honestly, you're in a different dimension if you think adding another lane (making it twice the width) would 'cost very little - if anything at all' to the bridge replacement.   

[Old Goat]

Yet we are told that these days public bodies (National Rail is a public body) all work together.  Of course, there are myriad excuses for not doing anything but I suspect the biggest in reality is the usual Newbury Council one 'not invented here'.  Yes, our local councils have no money and are cutting back on vital services, but then we can always find the cash to spend on vanity projects like restoring derelict buildings for no real purpose.  Oh well, as usual Newbury will just have to accept second best, such a shame its always delivered third rate.

[BrianB]

Traffic on Boundary Road/Queens Road area of Newbury can be chaotic at times. Traffic levels have increased tremendously in this area because of all of the house/apartments that are being built on the Racecourse.

Anyone living on the new Racecourse development who wants to go in the Thatcham direction has to use Boundary Road and "The Bridge" to get out onto the A4. Even when the new bridge is built at the far end of the Racecourse development, matters won't improve because the bridge will only be available for residents of the second phase. Through traffic will not be allowed.

I am also surprised that a new road is being constructed to allow traffic from part of the Racecourse development to exit directly onto Boundary Road at its junction with Queens Road.