The bridge’s steel beams have been lifted into place and the A43 has been reopened
The bridge will allow the train to go beneath the A43 road near Brackley, one of the busiest in the area.
Photos have been revealed showing the steel beams used being lifted into position.
The A43 was closed over three weekends for work
The A43 connects the M40 and M1, and provides access to Silverstone. The last day of closure for work took place on Saturday 15 of March, and the route was reopened just before midnight.
The work had been long coming with preparations taking place in 2023 with the road being realigned, forming an ‘island’ between the two carriageways to accommodate the new bridge deck.
The beams have now been put in place, and work can switch to the concrete deck and parapets. After the bridge has been constructed, the road will be moved back onto the new bridge and excavation work for the railway beneath the road can begin.
The approach has been designed to minimise traffic disruption.
The HS2 Brackley A43 bridge will see work delivered over 80km
HS2 Ltd’s senior project manager, Elizabeth Longinotti said: “The A43 is a busy route between Brackley and Northampton and I’d like to thank drivers for their patience over the last three weekends, allowing us to safely lift the enormous steel beams into position while the road was closed.
“With the beams now in place, we can focus on the next part of this complex multi-stage project – pouring the concrete deck ready for the road to be moved onto the new bridge early next year.”
National Highways route manager, Bill Freeman, said: “This is an enormous project which will inevitably impact on people using our roads but we have worked very hard for a long time now to keep that disruption to a minimum.
“For a number of years we have been liaising with HS2 and their partners to develop a plan which would reduce the disturbance to road users during the construction of this huge structure.
“We have also taken advantage of the road closures to expedite our own works improving drainage and repairing the slope along the A43, between Brackley and Syresham, reducing the need for further disruption.”
Tim Boardman, senior project manager at Kier Transportation, said: “It’s fantastic to see the beam lift take effect, and we’re now starting to see the bridge really take shape. Putting this solution into place has required a huge amount of expertise and collaboration with our partners, and we’re proud of the impact it will have. We look forward to moving onto the next stages of the project while continuing to work hard to minimise disruption for road users and the local community.”
