Construction is underway for a new bridge that for the A38 route due to the new HS2 rail link in the UK. The work is being carried out by the Balfour Beatty VINCI joint venture. The partners have begun foundation work for the new bridge that will take HS2 trains under a major A road on the outskirts of Lichfield, Staffordshire.
An expert team of engineers has started work directly underneath the A38 carriageway at Streethay to create the foundations of the Rykneld Street bridge, which are from 20-27m-deep. The complex process involves sinking a total of 88 piles to support the weight of the structure.
In preparation for the start of piling Balfour Beatty VINCI and National Highways have successfully built a temporary 320m stretch of the A38, which is now in operation. Once piling has been completed and the bridge deck is 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.
At 90.5m in length, HS2’s 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 and reused to form embankments along the HS2 route locally. Zachary Walker, Project Manager for Balfour Beatty VINCI, said: “We’re delivering a series of complex structures that will allow HS2 to pass underneath the A38, its slip lanes and the South Staffordshire freight railway near Lichfield. This exciting engineering project is about to move onto the next phase, as we begin the foundation work on the third and final bridge we’re building along this 455m retained cutting in Streethay.”
David Perry, Senior Project Manager for HS2, said: “Carrying out a complex engineering operation of this scale in close proximity to a live carriageway comes with a unique set of challenges, requiring a multi-stage and collaborative approach from everyone involved.
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.
