There appears to still be no firm timetable for repairs to the St Denys Road railway bridge, which has caused a lane closure, and much inconvenience, since mid-December 2023 due to a landslip - although progress described as “good” between the parties involved is reported.

 

The closure has been causing headaches for people travelling westbound to Thomas Lewis Way, as well as those living next to the constant traffic queues that often extend over Cobden Bridge on the busy A3035.

There have also been pollution concerns, especially given the close proximity of St Denys Primary School, and those living alongside the landslip have also reportedly raised concerns.

The good old days: when two lanes were open and the pavement was easier to navigate. Photo Google, apparently from May 2023

Responding to a request for clarification over timescale, Southampton City Council’s (SCC) cabinet member for environment and transport Cllr Keogh (Lab) wouldn’t be drawn on whether the work could last until Christmas, but said:

“I can confirm that good progress is being between SCC, NWR [Network Rail] and SEEN [sic: Scottish Southern Electricity Networks - SSEN] to repair the St Denys Road rail bridge and it is hopeful work will start later in the year once the necessary design and permissions have been agreed.”

He added: “This is a complex engineering project and consequently it has taken some time secure the necessary agreements among all parties.”

In March Keogh stressed that the bridge “is a network rail asset and therefore their responsibility to repair”, adding: “It is regrettable that the repairs by network rail on their asset is taking longer than both the council and residents would prefer and hopefully network rail will recognise the urgency of completing the repair in a timely manner.”

A request from bitternepark.info for further comment from Network Rail (NR) has been pending since July 11.

When we last reported the issue at the end of April, an NR spokesperson said they were “committed to finding a pragmatic solution with the Council, and are currently waiting for them and SSEN to agree to the interim management of their utility network. Once this has been confirmed, we will be able to confirm a programme of works for the bridge.”

SSEN told bitternepark.info last week: “Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has been contracted by Southampton City Council and Network Rail to carry out upgrade work to Network Rail’s network, which involves agreement from other parties before works can commence.

 
“SSEN received the acceptance to commence agreements on 5 July 2024, allowing SSEN to do the necessary inspections that will enable the delivery of the project as quickly as possible, once agreed by all parties.
 
“Timelines will be agreed with Network Rail, Southampton City Council and any other consenting parties, which will then allow SSEN to progress and complete the work requested by Network Rail.”

The lane closure is now listed on one.network, which maps city traffic disruptions, as potentially lasting until September 13.

It’s already been put back at least twice.