Balfour Beatty VINCI has completed the first stage of work for the construction of a bridge that will take the HS2 high-speed railway line over the M42 motorway.
During two weekend closures, the company’s team of engineers worked around the clock to prepare the area for construction by removing pre-existing concrete foundations, installing underground ducting and creating a safe working area in the central reservation of the motorway.
Once built, the M42 motorway box structure will measure 300 metres in length and will enable the high-speed line to cross over a 130-metre stretch of the M42 between junctions 6 and 7/7a near Birmingham Business Park and the NEC.
Oliver Shore, project director at Balfour Beatty VINCI, said: “Now we’ve completed essential preparation works along a section of the M42, we’re ready to begin building this twin box structure which will carry HS2 trains over the motorway.
“Using a modular construction method, this impressive structure will be built in position, to minimise disruption on road users.”
The modular method will reduce the need for lengthy motorway closures, the company says, and will involve the assembly of giant building blocks that are manufactured away from site and transported to land next to the motorway.
All told, 1,500 hollow blocks, each weighing 14 tonnes on average, will be placed on top of each other, like bricks, before being filled with concrete to form the walls of the structure. Then 295 beams will bridge the gaps between these walls, followed by the installation of a bridge deck and parapets – with the structure due for completion in early 2027.
Working in collaboration with National Highways, Balfour Beatty VINCI will build the structure in position while keeping three lanes of carriageway open on the M42, with a 50mph speed limit in place.
Doug Barnett, senior project manager for HS2 Ltd, said: “Following this first phase of work, we can now start to build the structure in place from the ground up. We’ve prioritised a modular, self-supporting construction method as this avoids the need for any long-term motorway closures and reduces the overall construction time frame – keeping disruption to a minimum.”
Balfour Beatty VINCI, will continue to work in partnership with National Highways as the build gets underway. At peak construction, a dedicated workforce of 150 will support the complex operation.
David Patmore, network planner for National Highways, said: “It is crucial for us that we keep traffic moving and we do all we can to ensure people’s journeys on our roads are as smooth as possible. When we need to carry out important and significant works such as these, we work closely with partners like HS2 to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.”
Main image: Balfour Beatty VINCI works to construct the M42 twin box structure
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