Project update: On Thursday 14 July 2022, Woking Borough Council’s Executive agreed to consider revised project options for the Victoria Arch widening scheme. This decision has initiated a fundamental review of the scheme including consideration of alternative delivery options and reduced costs. A project review update is expected at the meeting of the Executive in December 2022. Read more about about the review.
What is the timeline for the whole project, including the plans for the temporary and permanent access road proposals?
This is a major infrastructure project which, unfortunately, will have some disruption during construction.
Following the decision of Woking Borough Council’s Executive to reschedule the project. The current project timeline is as follows:
Triangle site demolition (subject to voluntary acquisition of remaining properties)
- Completion of the Triangle demolition without the need for a compulsory purchase order (CPO): end of the summer 2022
Relocation / reuse of the aggregates yard access road
- Planning application submissions: summer 2022
The temporary access to the aggregates yard may be needed for a substantial period of time given the scale of the works proposed. Planning consent is likely to request permission for the temporary access to be in place for up to five years.
Utility diversion works
- Enabling / investigative utility works: late spring to early winter 2022
- Main mitigation utility works: winter 2022 to winter 2023
Network Rail replacement bridge works
- Network Rail Victoria Arch bridge works: The project is currently under review.
Highway reconfiguration works
- Highway reconfiguration works on the south-side and north-side of Victoria Arch bridge: The project is currently under review.
View the current works webpage
Interested parties can also sign up to receive e-alerts when new information is available.
Questions submitted by members of the public
A significant number of questions have been received from members of the public during our engagement work, which remains ongoing. The summary question and answer outlined above aims to provide responses to the main points and topics raised by local residents.
- What is the current status of the access road relocation planning applications?
- What is the process and timeline for a possible compulsory purchase order (CPO) on properties affected by the permanent access road proposal? Who would be responsible for issuing and delivering the CPO?
- If the project is finally approved, how long will the works anticipate take and will any contract awarded be incentivised for early completion to an initially approved schedule? (Asked as it will be major disruption to traffic, in particular in the Mount Hermon area and will continue the long period of Woking being a construction site).
- How long would temporary access road be in place for? How long will the works take and where will the displaced traffic go whilst works are being undertaken?
- Why delay the project but not the planning applications for the access road relocation?
- What is the indicative timeline for all the work? This includes preparing the temporary access road, how long this will be operational for, preparing the permanent access road when Waverley Court needs to be evacuated by the property owners, etc.
- What is the realistic completion date? When will the demolition start and when is the completion date? Is there a clear timeline for the project somewhere public? How long is the anticipated project and the contingency in light of the current delay of Victoria square?
- When will the work begin? If the project proceeds, when is commencement anticipated and how long are the works expected to take? What is the timing for the project and planning permissions needed?
- Since the actual bridge elements will have to be replaced in sections over a relatively short time window, to maintain rail traffic, why is the duration of the temporary access solution so protracted?
- How long will Victoria Way be shut for?
- Dates of the road closures?
- How long will the severe disruption last? When will the severe disruption start?
- How will locals be able to monitor progress?