Foundation work starts on key A43 bridge
HS2 has begun foundation works for a key bridge that will take a major A road over the new high-speed railway just outside Brackley following the temporary realignment of both carriageways.
The A43 links Oxford, Brackley and Northampton and provides vital access to Silverstone and the M40 and M1.
Just two weekend closures were needed during the seven-month realignment project, with HS2 working closely with National Highways to create an ‘island’ between the two carriageways big enough construction of the new bridge deck.
HS2 engineers have now started work on the 52m-deep piled foundation that will support the bridge’s weight. These will be topped with concrete pile caps and piers supporting the 66-metre-long bridge deck that will carry the road.
Once the deck has been completed, the road will be moved back over the new bridge and excavation can begin to create space for the railway to pass underneath. This multi-stage approach was designed to keep traffic flowing and reduce disruption.
Once the deck has been completed, the road will be moved back over the new bridge and excavation can begin to create space for the railway to pass underneath. This multi-stage approach was designed to keep traffic flowing and reduce disruption.
The almost 80km stretch of railway that passes Brackley, including the A43 bridge, is being delivered by HS2’s main works contractor EKFB, a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction, and BAM Nuttall – working with ASC (a joint venture between Arcadis, Setec and COWI).
They worked with National Highways and EKFS’s sub-contractor, Kier Highways, to construct the temporary realignment over seven months last year.
The A43 is one of around 500 bridges on the HS2 project - which is designed to improve connections between London, Birmingham and the North while freeing up space for more local trains on the most congested southern end of the existing West Coast Main Line into London Euston.
These range from small footbridges and underpasses to innovative ‘green bridges’ designed to help wildlife cross the railway, massive motorway bridges, and the record-breaking Colne Valley Viaduct.
The last few months have also seen significant progress at HS2’s other major viaducts, with the first deck slide for the enormous Delta Junction over the A42/M6 link road outside Birmingham and the start of a half-kilometre deck slide at Wendover Dean.
Route-wide, HS2 is now at peak construction, with 28,000 people employed directly and across the UK-wide supply chain.
Subscribe to the weekly newsletter
