HS2 Saltley Viaduct moved into position

Balfour Beatty VINCI has moved a 55 metre-long steel section into place to overcome the hurdle of crossing the Birmingham to Derby rail lines.

The original Saltley Viaduct spanned a 183‑metre section of the B4114. It closed to vehicles and pedestrians in May 2026 and was then demolished. Work on the Saltley Viaduct was carried out during the August Bank Holiday weekend.

The newer structure is taller and will allow high speed trains to safely pass below. A phased approach is being taken on the programme due to the complexity of crossing the Birmingham to Derby rail lines, the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal, the River Rea and the future HS2 railway line.

Network Rail enforced a temporary closure of the railway, which reopened to passengers as planned on Tuesday.

Nic Ryder, HS2 Ltd’s project manager for the works, said: “Our engineering team is making fantastic progress and everyone worked incredibly hard over the Bank Holiday weekend to ensure we were finished in time for the railway to reopen.

“In the three months since the road closed, they have demolished the original structure and successfully installed the first span of the replacement bridge, putting us on track to proceed to the next phase.”

With phase one of four complete, engineers are now assembling the second 35-metre-long span, which will cross over the new HS2 railway line. This span will be lowered into place by crane in October.

Spans three and four, which cross the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal, will be installed later this year.  Engineers will then complete the tie in from the perimeter of the railway line to the abutment upon which the structure rests. A new bridge over the River Rea will also be constructed and will form part of the overall realigned B4114.

Dan Binns, senior project manager for Balfour Beatty VINCI, said: “The new Saltley Viaduct is the latest HS2 structure to emerge in this area of Birmingham, after BBV engineers safely manoeuvred the first 55-metre span over an existing rail line.

“We chose the same technique used on the neighbouring Aston Church Road bridge two years ago, where the span was assembled next to the railway, before being driven into place on wheels to minimise the impact on rail passengers as much as possible.”

The new viaduct is expected to open to motorists and pedestrians in November 2027 with significant safety and design enhancements. It will be 4.5 metres wider, to provide additional space for cyclists and pedestrians, and the new wider walkways will feature LED lighting in the panels.

HS2 Ltd and BBV worked closely with Birmingham City Council, Transport for the West Midlands and National Express to ensure safe and effective diversion routes and bus provisions were put in place throughout the construction phase.

HS2 Ltd has also awarded Birmingham City Council £2.5m to leave a road safety legacy along the route of the railway.  The funding, which is allocated for improvement initiatives, must be spent by the end of December 2026.