An HS2 engineering team is making preparations for the placement of a 112m long, 1,632 tonne steel bridge over a section of Birmingham’s ring road, Lawley Middleway, this August.
The work will be delivered by Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) and bridge contractor, Mammoet.
Giant HS2 bridge ready to be moved into place in central Birmingham: Lawley Middleway ready for move
© HS2 Ltd.
In order to reduce disruption to road users, the bridge has been gradually constructed on land next to Digbeth Canal over the past two years. Now that the structure is complete, it will be jaxked onto two self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs).
The bridge will be rotated 90 degrees on 15 August, before being moved into place by a combination of a skidding system with a jacking push/pull mechanism and the SPMT between 16–23 August.
The operation will be carried out overnight in order to ensure minimum disruption to road users, with the bridge moved 12 metres per night in order to keep the road open during the day.
The section of Lawley Middleway will be closed between 22:00 and 06:00 from Garrison Circus to Curzon Circus between 15–24 August. The diversion, which will be signposted during the closures, is planned to avoid entering the Birmingham Clean Air Zone (CAZ).
Georgios Markakis, Project Manager at Balfour Beatty VINCI said:
This operation is a first for BBV, combining SPMTs and a skidding system to lift, rotate and move this giant structure into place. Work is progressing well on this whole section of the Curzon Approaches, delivered by a team of more than 250 people, including steel welders, steel fixers, joiners and engineering apprentices.”
Importantly, we’ve worked closely with Transport for West Midlands and Birmingham City Council to plan the operation during the low traffic holiday period and keep the road open during the day, minimising disruption to road-users.
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