‘Fantastic progress’ as trio of HS2 viaducts completed near Solihull
Balfour Beatty VINCI has signed off on three major structures on the approach to Solihull’s Interchange station, with Balsall Common, Marsh Farm and River Blythe viaducts now structurally complete.
Two of the three viaducts are so-called ‘Key Design Elements’, which means their size, proximity to communities, or location, marked them out as significant or sensitive developments.
The 1,600 ft long span over the River Blythe is the largest of the three structures, carrying the high speed line over both river and floodplain, as well as Meriden Road near Hampton in Arden.
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Final parapets were being installed on the Blythe Viaduct earlier this week, with acoustic barriers and final water proofing works set to follow.
The 1,400 ft long Balsall Common Viaduct includes parapets designed with a polished finish to reflect the sky and surrounding vegetation, with the viaduct featuring a weave motif in a nod to the area’s history of textile production.
“Our engineering teams are making fantastic progress on the Interchange Station approach, and it’s a significant achievement that all three viaducts in the Solihull borough are now structurally complete,” said Doug Barnett, HS2 Ltd’s senior project manager.
“The design and landscaping solutions were of upmost importance to local residents, and we worked extremely hard to get that right.”
Earlier this month, HS2 renegotiated contracts with two civil engineering joint-ventures as part of its ongoing programme reset.
New deals were signed with EKFB and Align for more than 100km of the HS2 route between London and the West Midlands, which HS2 described as a “significant step forward” in delivering the project’s remaining works at the “lowest reasonable cost”.
The government launched a full review of the HS2 programme in June last year, with transport secretary Heidi Alexander adding it could take up to 18 months to sort out the delayed project, which she said has been beset by spiralling costs and shifting timelines.
Latest estimates for completion of the scheme run at £87.7bn to £102.7bn, according to government figures released in May.
