Oxford to Aylesbury road reopens after week-long closure

The A418 was shut as part of work to realign it across a new bridge over the HS2 route.

The A418 overbridge, just south of the existing road near Hartwell, spans 103 metres across a cutting which will carry HS2 rail services between London and the West Midlands in the future.

It is one of two major road bridges opened by HS2 in the past few weeks near Aylesbury, alongside the recently completed A41 bridge.

This comes after a prolonged period of transport disruption for the local community.

An aerial view of the completed A418 overbridge near Aylesbury (Image: HS2) They are amongst 500 bridging structures on the HS2 project, which range from small footbridges and drainage culverts to ‘green bridges’ for wildlife and viaducts such as the record-breaking Colne Valley viaduct which is now the longest of its kind in the UK.

The A418 bridge was constructed using 21 U-shaped precast concrete beams forming three spans, with the deck and wingwalls cast in situ.

The road realignment stretches 1.1km from end to end, with more than 10km of power cables, 9km of telecoms cables, and 1.5km of gas and water mains installed at the same time.

There is also new drainage and a wider footpath and cycleway alongside the road.

HS2 Ltd’s senior project manager, Ben Sebastian-Green, said: "The A41 and A418 are two of the most important roads into Aylesbury, so it’s great to have both bridges open to the public.

"I’d like to thank everyone in our supply chain who worked so hard to complete this work – and of course the local community for their patience during the recent road closures that were required to safely deliver the project."

Once complete, the HS2 project is intended to improve journeys between London and the West Midlands while freeing up space on the existing West Coast Main Line for more freight and local services.

An aerial view of the completed A418 overbridge near Aylesbury (Image: HS2) Both Aylesbury bridges were delivered by HS2’s main works contractor, EKFB, a group made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction, and Bam Nuttall.

The new A418 road surface over the bridge was laid over the weekend, with traffic using the new alignment from 6am on Monday.

EKFB’s project director, Ignacio Chicharro, said: "The A418 realignment and new overbridge opening reflects the hard work and collaboration of EKFB, our subcontractors, designers, and the local authority.

"This project required extensive planning and coordination, especially due to the numerous utility diversions.

"We’re thrilled to reopen this essential road and thank local residents for their patience during the closures."