The replacement of a key local road bridge in Buckinghamshire has taken a major step forward after HS2 engineers lifted nine massive steel beams that will form the main structure of the new bridge.
Stretching for 112 metres, the bridge will carry Edgcott Road across the new high-speed railway and an existing freight line, which runs parallel for five miles between the Bucks Railway Centre near Quainton and the village of Calvert.
It is one of 24 HS2 bridges and other structures which are being built wide enough for both sets of tracks to run side by side. Replacing the old, smaller bridge, will allow the currently disused railway to be brought back into use in the future.
The new bridge is being built by HS2 Ltd’s main works contractor, EKFB - a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall - working with Eiffage Metal, Osprey and Allerton Steel.
They used a 650-tonne crawler crane to lift the steel beams into position, with the operation being completed over the last month.
Made of ‘weathering steel’, the beams are a naturally russet brown colour and were welded together on site to form the main span of the bridge which was lifted in six large sections.
Two 6.8-metre-high concrete piers and abutments on either side will support the steel beams which weigh a total of 610 tonnes. A reinforced concrete deck will then sit on top to support the road, which carries local traffic between Quainton and Calvert.
Once complete, HS2 will carry long distance trains between London and Birmingham, significantly reduce journey times and free up space on the existing mainline for more local and freight services.
Welcoming the milestone, HS2 Ltd Senior Project Manager Hugo Rebelo said:
“It’s great to see the first beams in position for Edgcott Road bridge. This unusually long structure will cross both the HS2 line and the currently disused freight line – keeping open the opportunity for it to be upgraded for local passenger trains in the future.
“The site team have made good progress so far and I look forward to seeing it come together over the next year as we complete the deck and the diversion of the existing road.”
EKFB’s Project Director, Mimi El-Sanhouri said:
“Despite facing challenging weather conditions, EKFB and our sub-contractor teams pulled together to successfully install all nine steel beams over four days. Hitting this milestone in the construction programme allows us to unlock the next phase of construction.”
Edgcott Road is one of more than 500 bridging structures on the project, which range from simple footbridges, to special ‘green bridges’ planted with foliage to encourage wildlife, and major viaducts like Colne Valley, which at 2.1 miles, is set to become the longest railway bridge in the UK.
The freight line runs from Aylesbury Vale Parkway, running alongside HS2 from the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton to the Calvert Waste Management Site. It was built in 1899 as part of the Great Central Railway, carrying passengers between London Marylebone, Nottingham and Sheffield - and closed to passengers in the 1960s.
