HS2 has successfully installed a huge bridge section over the M6 motorway near Birmingham, with the road reopened ahead of schedule. The M6 South Viaduct will carry new high-speed trains between London and Birmingham over the road and its adjoining slip road near Birmingham Business Park, Birmingham Airport and the NEC in Solihull.
Viaduct installation details
On Monday, HS2 shared a post on X confirming that teams had slid the west deck of the M6 South Viaduct, weighing 3,726 tonnes, a distance of 76.6 metres into place. The section of the highway is located near Chelmsley Wood, between Junction 4 northbound and Junction 4a southbound, as well as Junction 7a northbound on the M42.
While the viaduct was being moved, teams also used the closure to install 38 parapets for the structure, with 20 people working on the parapet operation alone. In total, over 100 people worked across the day and night shifts to make the operation happen.
Contract reset and cost estimates
In July, HS2 Ltd. said it had renegotiated two contracts in an effort to deliver work on time and on budget. The new deals are hoped to save millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money by rewarding efficiency. The contracts with two joint ventures, EKFB and Align, relate to more than 60 miles of the high-speed railway being built between London and the West Midlands.
Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “These new contracts are an important milestone in the reset of HS2. The waste and mismanagement of the past are behind us. We are now laser-focused on delivering this project efficiently and responsibly for taxpayers. By resetting contractor incentives and rewarding cost control, we are making sure every pound spent delivers real value and that the project is built at the lowest reasonable cost.”
In May, the Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, announced a larger cost estimate and extended timeline for HS2 amid a reset scheduled to be completed in 2027 with a new detailed plan for the remaining works. Ms Alexander said HS2 could cost more than £100 billion and may not open until 2039.
