HS2 Installs First 55m Span of the New Saltley Viaduct in Birmingham
A bank holiday move over live railway lines shows off-site assembly at work
Engineers working on HS2 in Birmingham used the August bank holiday weekend to install the first span of the new Saltley Viaduct. The 55-metre span was assembled away from the railway and then driven around 125 metres into position over the Birmingham to Derby lines on self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) during a temporary rail closure. Passenger services were back on schedule the next morning.
Why Saltley Viaduct is being replaced
The existing Saltley Viaduct is 183 metres long. It has to be rebuilt higher so that HS2 trains can pass safely underneath it on their way into central Birmingham. The replacement is being delivered by Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) working with Network Rail.
The new viaduct will also be 4.5 metres wider than the old one and will include LED-lit walkways, which should improve the route for pedestrians and cyclists as well as for traffic.
Moving 55 metres of bridge on wheels
SPMTs are computer-controlled, multi-axle platforms that can carry very heavy loads and steer with great precision. By assembling the span next to the railway and then driving it into place, the team kept the time the railway had to be closed to a minimum. Rail closures, known as possessions, are tightly controlled and costly, so shifting work off the live railway is one of the most effective ways to protect a programme.
It is a technique that relies on close teamwork between structural, temporary works and mechanical engineers, as well as specialist heavy-lift operators.
Four spans and a new river bridge
The first span is the start of phase one. HS2 says a second, 35-metre span will be lifted in by crane over the new HS2 line in October 2026, with spans three and four, crossing the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal, due later in 2026. Tie-in works and a new bridge over the River Rea will follow, and the viaduct is expected to open to the public in November 2027.
HS2 project manager Nic Ryder said the engineering team was making fantastic progress, while BBV senior project manager Dan Binns described the viaduct as the latest HS2 structure to take shape in this part of the city.
The skills behind heavy-lift bridge moves
Moves like this depend on a wide range of specialists: bridge and temporary works designers, steel fabricators, rail possession planners, SPMT operators and site engineers who can work to millimetre tolerances. With several HS2 structures being built around Birmingham at the same time, demand for these skills in the West Midlands is strong.
Explore our civil engineering recruitment services, or contact the Bernoullis team to talk about your next role or project.
Sources: HS2 media centre · New Civil Engineer · RailAdvent
Images are illustrative. Credits: A J Paxton , CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons; IMessmer, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; Robin Stott , CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
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