Work on the railway access road, Aug-Nov 2009

'reducing flood risk'

August - November 2009. Work on the railway access road

The road acts as a dam to flood water. Large new culverts are to be installed by the Environment Agency in place of the existing totally inadequate bridge under the road. Although the ditch itself is quite small, these fields fill with water. A rough estimate suggests that when the water from here to South Hinksey is on average 20 cm deep, which happens quickly at times of flood, that there will be 56 million litres (12 million gallons) of water trapped between the access road and South Hinksey. Getting that water away earlier will benefit not only South Hinksey but everyone else upstream, to the Botley Road and beyond.

09/09/09 A temporary by-pass track is now complete. In today's photo the sandbags behind and below the bridge will combine with a temporary diversion of the ditch to give a pumped-dryworking area for installing the new flood culverts.

23/09/09 The first of the new culverts was delivered and lowered into place this morning.

09/11/09 The work is now almost done. The temporary bridge is still to be removed.

Why do all this ? Have a look at these earlier pictures.