Balfour Beatty VINCI has completed the complex move of a 112-metre, 1,631-tonne HS2 bridge across Birmingham’s Lawley Middleway – four days ahead of schedule.
Delivered with specialist contractor Mammoet, the giant steel structure was manoeuvred into place using a combination of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) and an innovative skidding system. The operation began on 15 August and was completed in just four nights, with the road reopening fully at 6am on Friday 22 August – instead of the planned Monday 25 August.
Night-time precision engineering
To minimise disruption, the bridge was moved during night-time closures, advancing between 18 and 24 metres each evening while keeping the ring road open during the day. The complex engineering feat marks the first major steel structure to be installed for HS2’s one-mile stretch of viaducts on the approach to Birmingham Curzon Street Station.
Rather than building in situ, the steel span was constructed next to Digbeth Canal over the past two years before being rotated 90 degrees and skidded into place – a UK first for Balfour Beatty VINCI on HS2.
A milestone for HS2 in Birmingham
Georgios Markakis, Project Manager at Balfour Beatty VINCI, said: “This is a proud moment for my team, who have worked hard to deliver this impressive feat of engineering. Through careful planning and expert support from our supply chain, we were able to deliver the operation much quicker than planned.”
HS2’s Head of Delivery for the Curzon Approaches, Greg Sugden, added: “It is the first steel structure to be put in place for the one-mile stretch of viaducts on the approach to Birmingham Curzon Street Station – a pivotal part of the high-speed railway now starting to take shape.”
What’s next for HS2 in Birmingham
The Lawley Middleway viaduct is part of a sequence of five connected structures – Duddeston Junction, Curzon 1, Curzon 2, Lawley Middleway and Curzon 3 – linking the 3.5-mile Bromford Tunnel to HS2’s landmark Birmingham Curzon Street Station.
With the bridge move complete, Balfour Beatty VINCI is entering a period of peak productivity. The next 12 months will see:
- The second Bromford Tunnel breakthrough
- Curzon 2 and Duddeston Junction viaduct moves
- Reopening of Aston Church Road
- Demolition of the old Aston Church Road bridge
- Construction of the new Saltley Viaduct
A major boost for HS2 progress
The early completion of the Lawley Middleway bridge move demonstrates the pace now being achieved on HS2 in Birmingham. For road users, it means less disruption. For the project, it marks a visible milestone in bringing Britain’s high-speed rail network closer to reality.
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