The last of 292 concrete piles that will form the foundations for the UK’s longest railway bridge were installed this week at the site of HS2’s Colne Valley Viaduct, marking a successful end to the first phase of the record-breaking project. Once complete, the 2.1 miles (3.4km) bridge will carry the new high-speed rail line across a series of lakes and waterways near Hillingdon on the north-west outskirts of London. The construction of the foundations, the 56 huge piers and the deck on top, have all been happening in parallel – with separate teams working from north to south. Deck assembly began last year, with more than 500 meters of the viaduct structure now complete. In order to deliver the 66 piles in the lakebed, the team first had to construct over a kilometer of temporary jetties, with cofferdams to hold back the water around each set of foundations. The jetties are also used to transport materials and equipment during the construction of the piers and viaduct deck, keeping vehicles off local roads. Construction of the HS2 project – which is designed to improve rail links between London, Birmingham and North, help level-up the economy and provide a low carbon alternative to car and air travel – is ramping up across the UK with almost 30,000 jobs now supported by the project. HS2 Ltd’s Project Client, David Emms said: “Once complete, HS2 will transform journeys across the UK, help to boost the economy and support the UK’s transition to net zero. “The completion of the piling for the Colne Valley Viaduct is a major achievement for our whole team and marks the end of almost two years of hard work. With pier construction and deck assembly also well underway, the viaduct is fast becoming one of the most impressive and recognisable parts of the project.” The viaduct is being built by HS2 Ltd’s main works contractor Align JV – a team made up of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick, working with its contractor KVJV– who spent almost two years on the piling. KVJV is a team made up of Keller Group and VSL International. On top of each group of piles – some of which are to a depth of 60m into the ground – a concrete pile cap will support the pier which will in turn support the weight of the bridge structure above. Instead of hammering the piles into the ground, holes were bored before being backfilled to create the piles. The main deck of the viaduct is being built in 1,000 separate segments at a temporary factory nearby and assembled using a bridge-building machine which lifts each piece into position before shifting itself forward to the next pier.  Align’s Surface Operations Director, Derek van Rensburg said: “Completing the piling is a great achievement for both Align and the team at KVJV, working over the lakes and waterways across the Colne Valley. We were able to complete the piling with no significant impact on the environment, a great result for the whole team.” Set low into the landscape, the widest spans reserved for where the viaduct crosses the lakes, and narrower spans for the approaches. This design was chosen to enable views across the landscape, minimise the viaduct’s footprint on the lakes and help complement the natural surroundings. The design was inspired by the flight of a stone skipping across the water, with a series of elegant spans, some up to 80m long, carrying the railway around 10m above the surface of the lakes, River Colne and Grand Union Canal. HS2 worked closely with Affinity Water and the Environment Agency to monitor water quality and agree working methods. These were monitored by a team of specialist engineers during construction in order to protect the natural environment. Before work began, an extensive programme of test piling was completed with engineers sinking 12 piles at two locations with geological and structural data from these tests fed back into the design of the viaduct. This resulted in a 10-15% reduction in the depth of the piles and associated time and cost savings. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

HS2 Ltd recently celebrated a world-first as around 450 people from HS2’s construction contractor in the Midlands – Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) – slid a 12,600 tonne bridge a record 165 metres to position it across the M42 motorway in Warwickshire. The site team worked around the clock to move HS2’s Marston Box bridge into place over the M42 during the Christmas period. The dramatic operation took 40 hours, at a speed of 4 metres per hour, from Saturday 24 to Monday 26 December during a 10-day closure of the motorway between Junctions J9 and J10 (northbound and southbound). The motorway is on schedule to reopen at 0500 on Tuesday, 3 January 2023. Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: “This is yet another astonishing achievement by HS2 – a project which is already changing lives through employment and regeneration, and will completely transform the way we live and work once trains hit the tracks.  “Thank you to the 450 people working over the Christmas period on this incredible operation, who are playing their part in bringing this pioneering project to life. What a way to end the year.”  HS2 Ltd’s Civils Delivery Director, Mike Lyons said:  “This is the first box slide of its kind over a motorway in the UK, and we believe it’s also the world’s longest slide, so it’s a great achievement for HS2 as we quickly approach peak construction. It’s fantastic to celebrate another big milestone for a project that is already providing work for almost 30,000 people today, and in the future, it will encourage people to use zero carbon public transport.” Over the last six months, the giant 86 metre-long structure was built on land next to the motorway. The structure, developed by a Design Joint Venture of Mott MacDonald and Systra, working on behalf of BBV, has a base, three walls and top slab. The sliding mechanism, designed by specialist civil and structural engineering company Freyssinet, allowed the box to be pushed into place over the motorway on a guiding raft over a distance of 163 metres – which is believed to be the world’s longest box slide. On completion, the whole structure will be around 190 metres in length, and will carry HS2 over the motorway as it heads north to Crewe, or on its southward journey as it loops into Birmingham Curzon Street or continues straight on to Interchange Station in Solihull, Old Oak Common Station and London Euston. Once built, the railway bridge will connect to Dunton Wood Embankment to the south and the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Viaduct, which crosses the heritage canal, to the north. This construction method, which allowed it to be moved into place in one movement meant only two one-week closures of the motorway over a 12-month period, dramatically reducing disruption for road users. Sasan Ghavami, Balfour Beatty VINCI’s Construction Director for the project said: “We’re extremely proud to have successfully delivered the world’s longest box slide. It’s a huge achievement for our project team and everyone connected with Balfour Beatty VINCI.  “We’ve used innovative construction techniques and worked tirelessly throughout the Christmas period to move this 12,600 tonne bridge over the M42 motorway – all done with the aim of keeping disruption to an absolute minimum.” The box slide operation is part of HS2’s 550,000 square metre site at Kingsbury, where over 1,000 people are currently working. Around 6,800 people are already employed in HS2’s construction in the West Midlands, with thousands more jobs supported through the wider supply chain. HS2 and its contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) has worked in partnership with National Highways to deliver this intricate operation. National Highways Senior Network Planner, Frank Bird said: “We’d like to say a big thank-you to motorists for their patience during the closure of the M42. It’s never easy to close a busy motorway such as the M42 for an extended period of time but it has been vital to ensure the safety of the workforce and motorists while this work is taking place. “We’ve been working collaboratively with HS2 for the past 18 months to ensure the operation ran smoothly and to help keep disruption to a minimum for drivers. The installation of the new Marston Box bridge is a significant milestone in the HS2 project and it’s great to see it finally in place.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

HS2 Ltd has revealed designs for the 150-metre section of viaduct as part of the approach to Birmingham’s new Curzon Street Station, including a 25-metre-high truss which will create a new icon on the city’s skyline. A unique light installation, designed by British artist Liz West, will introduce a dynamic colour palette to the apertures of the steel truss, framing views of the city. Titled Out of the Blue, the proposed artwork will establish the bridge as a stunning feature of the city’s landscape both during the day and at night, when the artwork will come to life. The Curzon 2 bridge, which has been nicknamed “The Bellingham Bridge” by the team in honour of England superstar and Stourbridge-born Jude Bellingham’s performances at the World Cup, is the tallest structure in the sequence of viaducts and structures that make up the Curzon Street Approaches. These Approaches take HS2 into Birmingham’s new city centre station. The bridge consists of a gently curved truss in weathering steel which carries HS2 over the Victorian brick rail viaduct below. A truss bridge is light but strong, composed of connected elements that form triangular units, and is economic to build because it’s constructed using a relatively small amount of material. This makes the truss form ideal to assemble offline and then launch from one end and in one piece across the existing railway viaduct below. The team believe this construction method will be among the longest bridge launches ever delivered in the UK. HS2 Ltd’s Design Director, Kay Hughes said: “Our design ambition for the Curzon 2 bridge is to create an elegant, iconic structure, fitting of its prominence on the Birmingham skyline, creating a legacy for HS2 and contributing positively to the city’s identity day and night. “The curved truss design celebrates Birmingham’s industrial heritage, and we’re pleased that we’ve been able to engage a prominent artist to work with our architects to create a distinctive lighting installation, which will be a striking addition to Birmingham’s city skyline.” The gently curved truss is 150-metres long and 25 metres tall. It will be assembled on the ground and then launched into its final position over the existing Victorian brick rail viaduct at around 17 metres above the ground, so the whole structure will be 40 metres high. A truss is the most efficient structural form for a launching process, and this is likely to be one of the largest bridge launches ever carried out in the UK.  HS2 trains will cross the truss bridge to leave the city towards HS2’s Washwood Heath Depot. The site, located northeast of Birmingham City Centre, will maintain, service, and store HS2 trains when not in use, generating over 500 long-term jobs for local people. Acclaimed artist Liz West has worked across the UK and the world with organisations including the National Trust, Natural History Museum, London Design Festival and Natural England. Using a variety of materials and exploring the use of light, she blurs the boundaries between sculpture, architecture, design and painting to create works that are both playful and immersive. Liz is based near Manchester with close family ties to Birmingham and knows the city and the West Midlands area well.  Artist Liz West said: “The core concept of my work is to depict and symbolize a physical and metaphorical meeting point of colours, people and spaces, linking locations through the creation of an immersive, atmospheric and experiential encounter. The use of colour, light and form creates a sense of connectivity and movement, echoing the ways in which the public use, navigate and experience train travel.” The artwork will ‘paint’ the triangular structures within the new Curzon 2 viaduct with a mixing of multiple linear coloured light. The blending and merging of the light will create dynamic colour-ways and frame the sky beyond and create new vantage points of the city. Anne Mullins, HS2 Ltd’s Head of Art and Culture said: “HS2 is delivering an ambitious arts and culture strategy that will enhance the design and delivery of HS2 for communities up and down the country. I am delighted that artist Liz West has created a new public artwork for HS2 in Birmingham, which will become a new regional landmark that celebrates the creativity and vibrancy of the West Midlands.”  The design for the Curzon Street Approaches section of HS2’s Phase One is being developed by a Design Joint Venture of Mott MacDonald and Systra and architects Weston Williamson + Partners, all working for HS2’s civils contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI joint venture. Nick McGough, Lead Architect for the BBV Design Joint Venture said: “Conceptually, the Curzon Street Approach Viaducts are a series of moments along a coherent thread of structures which will bring HS2 trains into Birmingham. The Curzon 2 bridge, above its V-shaped piers, represents a special and unique moment when the herculean engineering of HS2 will be on full display as it crosses the Victorian viaduct below. This has only been possible with the close collaboration between contractor, engineer, architect and artist. “The curved truss is made from weathering steel, a highly robust material that will pick up tones from the surrounding area as its protective patina develops while reducing maintenance costs across the lifespan of the high speed rail line.” A number of refinements have been made to the design, which is now set to be submitted to Birmingham City Council. These include how the truss has been designed to ‘wrap’ around the viaduct, extending the bottom of the steel to wrap underneath the viaduct deck and forming a visual connection to the steel girders of the adjacent structures. The nodes where the diagonal members meet will have curved corners to provide longevity to the steelwork whilst softening the silhouette of the bridge. The width of the viaduct deck itself has also been increased by four metres, allowing the bridge to carry three parallel high speed rail tracks over the existing east-west rail line. Closer to Curzon Street, the tracks will split even further

HS2 Ltd’s CEO Mark Thurston hosted Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt and Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street at HS2’s Interchange Station construction site in Solihull. The Chancellor’s visit follows last week’s Autumn Statement in which he committed to investment in infrastructure and to continue building HS2 to Manchester. Mark Thurston hosted the Chancellor and Mayor Andy Street on a tour of the site to see construction progress, meet site engineers and apprentices, and hear about how HS2 is already driving economic benefits across the Midlands and wider to the whole UK, creating opportunities for jobs and businesses across the country. HS2 Ltd’s CEO Mark Thurston said: “It was a pleasure to host the Chancellor and the West Midlands Mayor on our busy Interchange Station site today, so they could see first-hand HS2’s construction progress in action, and to show them how HS2 is delivering for the government’s levelling-up agenda. “With almost 30,000 jobs supported by the project, and tens of thousands more throughout our UK-wide supply chain, we are delighted the Chancellor recognises the important part HS2 is playing in driving growth across the country today, and will do in the future.” On Twitter, after the visit Jeremy Hunt MP tweeted: Today I met skilled apprentices on the site of HS2’s new Interchange Station in #Solihull with the brilliant @andy4wm. We could have balanced the books with big cuts to capital projects, but better transport connections spread wealth & opportunity – so we are proud to BACK HS2. The Chancellor and Mayor met apprentices from HS2’s civils construction partner Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) to hear about the opportunities the project is providing for them and their future careers. Bethany Williamson, BBV Apprentice Civil Engineer from Birmingham said: “It was great to talk to the Chancellor, who was really interested in hearing about my apprenticeship and my role working on HS2. I told him that it really is a brilliant opportunity to work on such a huge construction project, and that I’m very excited about continuing my career with HS2.” The contract to build HS2’s eco-friendly Interchange Station in the West Midlands will support around 1,000 jobs over the next five years. This means there will are huge opportunities for people and businesses in the region right now, years before the station is open. Interchange Station is the catalyst for huge growth plans in Solihull, creating an economic transformation for the region. The plans, being led by the Urban Growth Company, will support 30,000 jobs, up to 3,000 new homes and 70,000m2 of commercial space. This forms part of the wider UK Central Hub area plans for 70,000 jobs, 8,000 new homes and 650,000m2 of commercial space, generating £6.2bn GVA per year and bringing 1.3m people to within a 45-minute public transport commute of the station. The design of Interchange will make it one of the most sustainable stations anywhere in the world. Harnessing the latest green technology and designs will provide exciting jobs, training and supply chain opportunities, as we begin to build a world-class transport hub for the UK. The station site covers an area of 150 hectares within a triangle of land formed by the M42, A45 and A452. Significant progress has already been made on the site, including the construction of modular bridges over the M42 and A446 as part of a re-modelled road network in the area to facilitate access to the new station. In 2023, after an initial 12 month planning stage, Laing O’Rourke will start the detailed design. HS2’s Main Works Contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI are currently preparing the site, ready for construction to start in 2024. The station is due for completion in 2027 in advance of the railway opening between 2029 and 2033. There will be up to five trains per hour passing through the station in both directions, with an estimated total of 175,000 seats per day, making this one of the best-connected transport interchanges in the country. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

HS2 Ltd’s 125 metre-long ‘Dorothy’ tunnel boring machine has launched for her second one-mile tunnel bore under Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire, marking the next big milestone for construction on the northern section of Phase One. After launching in December 2021, the Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) tunnelling team worked around the clock in shifts over seven months, with the TBM becoming the first on the HS2 project to complete a tunnel drive in July 2022. HS2’s Senior Project Manager for Long Itchington Wood Tunnel, Doug Barnett: “After celebrating HS2’s first historic tunnel breakthrough in July, this TBM reassembly and relaunch is another first for the HS2 project. One year after Dorothy launched for her first drive, she’s now set off for the second bore, and we look forward to seeing the next HS2 tunnel breakthrough in summer 2023.” Over the last four months since the breakthrough, the gantries of the tunnel boring machine, which weigh over 1,000 tonnes, were brought back through the tunnel and reassembled at the north portal. The huge cutterhead, weighing 160 tonnes and with a 10 metre diameter, was moved by road during an intricate night-time operation in September. The TBM’s 130 tonne tail skin and eight other large pieces from the TBM’s front shield and middle shield, were also transported by specialist equipment. This is the sixth tunnel launch on the project, but the first time a TBM has been reassembled and reused. Four other TBMs are currently in the ground, digging twin bore tunnels under the Chilterns and London. When the TBM breaks through next summer, Long Itchington Wood Tunnel will be the first twin tunnel to be completed on HS2. Neil Johnson, Tunnels Delivery Director for Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “This has been an intense four months for the 300-strong team, including an intricate logistical operation to safely transport the TBM’s giant cutterhead and tail skin back to the north portal. This is another fantastic milestone for BBV and a proud moment for our fantastic tunnelling team.” Civil Engineering Degree Apprentice Jake Flood from Walsall has just joined BBV’s tunnelling team and was on site to celebrate the launch of the TBM. He said: “After successfully completing my Construction T-level qualification at Walsall College, including an industry placement with BBV, I’m really thrilled to now be working in the tunnelling team. It’s been amazing to be involved in the relaunch of Dorothy, and to celebrate this milestone on site.” 18-year-old Leah Hickman from Cannock, who has just started a degree-level Chartered Surveyor Apprenticeship with BBV, also joined the team to mark the occasion. Leah said: “Working on such a huge project while I do my degree apprenticeship is brilliant. As one of BBV’s 100 apprentices, it’s providing so many great experiences, and I’m looking forward to being part of more big moments as HS2 is built in the Midlands.” The tunnel, which preserves the ancient woodland above, forms a key element in how HS2 is managing environmental impacts through the design of the railway, protecting Britain’s precious wildlife habitats. Long Itchington Wood is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with complex ecosystems that have taken hundreds of years to establish. Excavation of the twin bore tunnel will produce around 500,000 tonnes of mudstone and soil, which is being processed at an on-site slurry treatment plant and separated out before being transported by a 254 metre conveyer to be used to build embankments along the route of the railway. The TBM is named ‘Dorothy’ after Dorothy Hodgkin, who in 1964 became the first British woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

The first freight train arrived at HS2’s newest Bucks construction hub this week as the high speed rail project confirmed that the new facility is expected to take the equivalent of 300,000 lorry movements off local roads. Situated on an existing freight line north of Aylesbury, the new railhead will welcome approx. 1,800 freight trains over the next three years as construction of HS2 – which will improve links between London, Birmingham and the north – gathers pace. Delivering this material by rail instead of HGV is expected to save 27,903 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon), the equivalent of 126 million miles driven by an average petrol car – or 156,408 return journeys between London and Edinburgh. The news comes two years after HS2 began delivering construction material to its other Buckinghamshire sites by rail. In that time 655 trains have delivered 1.1 million tonnes of aggregate, removing more than 116,000 truck journeys from the road and saving an estimated 13,000 tonnes co2e. The new site near Quainton, will allow HS2 to continue shipping material by rail as construction ramps up and is expected to handle 3 million tonnes of material – mainly aggregates used for construction. Once on site, most of the material will be stockpiled before being moved up or down the trace of the new high speed line on a series of dedicated haul roads to keep it away from local road users. Welcoming the news, HS2 Ltd Senior Project Manager Paul Marshall said: “We are serious about reducing the impact of construction on the local community and promoting sustainable construction methods. That’s why we started delivering materials by rail two years ago and this new railhead will help us continue to take huge numbers of trucks off local roads. “We’ve been working closely with Network Rail, EKFB and the Freight Operators for a number of years to make this possible, and to deliver not only low carbon journeys for our passengers, but also cut carbon in construction.” The railhead was set up by HS2’s main works contractor EKFB – a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and Bam Nuttall. EKFB is delivering the 80km central section of the route, including 17 viaducts, 81 bridges and three cut and cover ‘green tunnels’. They worked with a team from Network Rail who have completed a series of alterations which will enable freight services to operate in and out of the new railhead at Quainton. Simon Winfield, head of delivery unit for Network Rail, said: “Our team have worked at pace to complete adjustments on this section of railway which will help our partners at HS2 to reduce carbon by taking lorries off the roads in Buckinghamshire. “Network Rail staff will continue to support the material by rail freight operation in Quainton by ensuring that trains are safely operated in and out of the new railhead.” EKFB’s Head of Logistics & Security Chris Barton is delighted with the new railhead, commenting: “EKFB and our supply chain partners, Fishbone Solutions, DB Cargo and Hanson, are extremely proud to be introducing our fourth railhead into the project and in less than two years. Our local communities are important to us and the railhead allows us to transport material efficiently, with minimal distribution to those living close to our construction works. “Establishing a new railhead in Bucks also means we are reducing our carbon footprint and the number of HGVs on local roads, as well as helping us to deliver our works on time.” The railhead will be operated by Fishbone Solutions on behalf of EKFB with trains operated by DB Cargo UK Ltd on behalf of Hanson. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals