Preparations for motorway bridge first
SITE preparation was scheduled between Christmas and New Year for a bridge that will take HS2 over the M42 in North Warwickshire. Originally intended to be of a traditional design, it was changed to a 10,000 tonne box structure to lessen road disruption. Once constructed, it will be put into place during a single movement during a week-long closure of the motorway in winter this year. The whole bridge – which has a base, three walls and a top slab – will be built on land next to the road and shifted into position on a raft. The raft (a reinforced concrete slab) and box structure, with part of the jacking mechanism cast into its base, will be constructed using two tower cranes. Although the box slide technique is commonly used for railway infrastructure, HS2 says this will be the first of its kind over a motorway in the UK.