Foundation work begins on bridge to take highway over HS2

HS2 has started work on a new bridge that will take the high-speed line under the A38 road on the outskirts of Lichfield, Staffordshire. The work, directly underneath the A38 carriageway at Streethay, will create the foundations for the Rykneld Street bridge and involve sinking a total of 88 piles between 20 and 27m deep, to support the weight of the structure.

In preparation for the start of piling, HS2, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV — its construction partner for the West Midlands), and National Highways built a temporary 320m stretch of the A38, which is now in operation. Once piling has been completed and the bridge deck installed (in late 2025), the realigned section of the road will be moved back to its original position where piling is now taking place – allowing space for the high-speed railway to pass underneath.

HS2’s 90.5m-long Rykneld Street bridge is the last of three ‘retaining structures’ to be built at Streethay and contained within a 455m-long cutting through the ground. The trio of bridges, which also includes the A38 ‘Southbound Slip Overbridge’ and the Streethay Overbridge, will enable the HS2 line to pass under the A38, its slip lanes and the existing South Staffordshire freight railway.
Around 750,000m³ of earth will be excavated during the process of building the three bridges. It will be re-used to form embankments along the HS2 route locally.

Collaborative approach
David Perry, HS2 Ltd’s senior project manager, said: “Carrying out a complex engineering operation of this scale near a live carriageway comes with a set of challenges that require a multi-stage and collaborative approach from everyone involved. Our thanks go to National Highways, BBV and our wider supply chain as we start this next phase of construction at Streethay and, importantly, to our site team charged with safely delivering the Rykneld Street structure.

“A series of phased traffic management measures will continue during the build process and road realignment phase, with HS2 and National Highways working together to keep traffic flowing and to minimise disruption for road users.”

In recent weeks, HS2 construction progress in the West Midlands has seen ‘Interchange Station’ in Solihull take a step forward, after a 20-strong team lifted 15 massive bridge beams into position. Work has also started on the 2,000 underground foundation columns that will support the ‘Birmingham Curzon Street Station’.