The first huge viaduct has been completed at HS2’s Delta Junction in North Warwickshire, marking a major milestone as construction ramps up on the high-speed line in the region.

A team of 40 people working for HS2’s contractor in the Midlands, Balfour Beatty VINCI, used a giant cantilever structure to build the 472 metre single-track River Tame West Viaduct.

It is the first time in the UK that the technique has been deployed – moving the concrete segments into place span-by-span, making it an efficient and flexible construction process.

Work started on the viaduct’s piers in 2023, followed by the concrete deck construction starting in early 2024. Since then, 190 pre-cast concrete viaduct segments have been lifted into place using the specialist cantilever technique.

The River Tame West Viaducts will carry three rail tracks in total, made up of one single track viaduct and one double-track viaduct. Work is now underway on the double-track viaduct.

These precast segmental viaducts are located at the northern tip of the Delta Junction – the triangular section of the railway that enables trains to run between London, Birmingham and the north. In total, Delta Junction is made of 13 viaducts and more than 10kms of track to carry HS2 over rivers, existing rail lines, local roads and motorways.

Sam Hinkley, Lead Senior Project Manager for Delta Junction at HS2 Ltd said:

“The completion of the River Tame West single-track viaduct is a big milestone for the Delta Junction team. In this very complex construction area, we’re building a network of 13 viaducts to carry new high-speed trains over motorways, existing rail lines, rivers and floodplains. Nearly 10,000 people in the West Midlands are delivering this world-class engineering, which will lay the foundations for Britain’s future rail network.”

Pic: HS2