The first of 72 huge beams have been lifted in the construction of the HS2 Thame Valley Viaduct.

Crossing the floodplain of the river Thame around 350 metres south-west of the Rabans Lane Industrial Area, in Aylesbury, the 880-metre-long viaduct will carry HS2 services between London and Birmingham.

HS2 Ltd claim the structure will be set low into the landscape with a purposefully simple and consistent profile, with the underside of the viaduct raised just three metres above the ground.

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It is also claimed the structure is the first of its kind in the UK to have all major elements manufactured off site.

HS2 Ltd’s senior project manager Jennifer Lennon said: “HS2 will offer zero-carbon journeys from day one, but we’re also working hard to reduce the amount of carbon used in construction.

“That’s why we’re applying the latest approaches from across Europe to help us cut the amount of embedded carbon in our major structures and speed up construction.

“The post-tensioned double-beam approach used here has enabled the major elements of the viaduct to be manufactured off-site - dramatically improving efficiency, safety and quality while delivering outstanding performance and durability.”

The viaduct was designed by HS2 Ltd’s main works contractor EKFB, a team made up of Eiffage, kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall, working with on-site construction partner FC Civils Solutions.

A similar design approach is being considered for the nearby Edgcote viaduct in Northamptonshire.

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1