HS2 prepares to launch ‘tallest bridge’ in Birmingham
A huge viaduct set to carry passengers into the high-speed railway terminus at Curzon Street will be moved into place next month, after engineers completed work on the 4,200 tonne structure.
Once the move has been completed, the 80ft tall “Curzon 2” bridge will become one of five connected spans that will form the approach to Birmingham for HS2, with the new bridge set to rest on a 500ft-long concrete deck supported by seven concrete piers.
A team of 250 engineers, working for HS2’s construction partner Balfour Beatty VINCI, have spent three years working on the super-structure for the bridge.
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The complex move will see the structure shifted around 600ft over an existing railway line, a process which is set to take place over the next four weeks, in three separate stages, before the bridge is locked into its final position on Friday, 5 June.
When complete, the bridge will reach over 130ft from floor to the top of its span, creating what HS2’s head of delivery for Curzon described as a stunning addition to the city skyline.
The Curzon 2 bridge will reach 130ft once manoeuvred into its final position. Credit: HS2
“Curzon 2 is designed to reflect Birmingham’s proud industrial heritage, and it will soon become a recognisable landmark on the cityscape – just like the Rotunda and the BT Tower,” he said.
“I’m immensely proud of the civil engineers, welders and apprentices that have each played a part in its construction and we stand ready for the final challenge – launching the bridge over the adjacent railway line.”
Work will begin on the next phase of Curzon 1, on which Curzon 2 is currently resting, once the move has been completed.
Later this year, construction over the Digbeth canal will begin for Curzon 3, which forms the final approach into the terminus.
“This has been an incredible challenge and I’m extremely proud of the team who worked around the clock, in all weather conditions, to complete this magnificent structure,” said Onder Akin, senior project manager for Balfour Beatty VINCI.
“We are now preparing for the final stages, when the 4,200-tonne steel truss will be moved into position using high-precision hydraulic strand jacks. The structure will slide carefully into place over temporary bearings in a controlled operation.”
The announcement comes just days after an £856m contract for the construction of a depot, sidings and new control centre in the northeast of the city was awarded to Taylor Woodrow and Aureos.
Earlier this month, HS2 chief executive Mark Wild said a long-awaited project reset was still on course to be delivered by the end of the year.
