HS2 Installs Intersection Bridge Structure Beneath West Coast Main Line

HS2 has accomplished the UK's most significant drive to install an intersection bridge structure beneath the West Coast Main Line, at Fulfen Wood near Lichfield.

he 56 metre long and 19 metre wide structure will allow Britain’s new high-speed railway to pass beneath the busy existing railway line, on its route going north of Birmingham Curzon Street Station up to Crewe.

The giant 6,200-tonne concrete structure, which was built adjacent to the WCML over the last six months, was slowly manoeuvred into place on self-propelled modular transporters. Specially designed for very heavy lifting, the 840-wheeled transporter with four carrier beams was controlled by a remote steering system.


Over 61,000 cubic metres of earth have already been removed and the bridge structure has taken six months to build at the side of the existing railway. Over the two days before the move, the team removed the railway track and excavated over 15,000 cubic metres of material to create the space for the structure to be moved into.

Caroline Warrington, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd said: "This huge feat of engineering - the UK’s heaviest single span bridge drive - is our latest big milestone as we approach peak construction on Phase One of HS2. We’re making fantastic progress on this section of the route, with over 9,000 people working on the project in the Midlands and over 29,500 on the whole project, providing a vital boost for British businesses and jobs."