Water Orton Viaducts

The Water Orton Viaducts, located east of the M42 and Lichfield Road, are two viaducts that will hold 700 metres of new HS2 track over the River Tame and a network of existing transport links, including the Birmingham-Peterborough line, running between Water Orton and Coleshill Parkway Stations. They will link the curve of the route that heads west towards Birmingham with the main line heading north.

Viaducts construction

The Water Orton Viaducts will be 20 metres high at their highest point and held up by a series of 32 giant piers (supportive columns). The piers will be built in situ with a bespoke formwork and with a fully prefabricated reinforcement cage assembled in the rebar factory located near Coleshill. Overhead power lines supplying the trains will be supported using steel masts aligned with the structural grid of the viaducts. These will be designed to be consistent along the whole route.

The deck segments will be produced at a nearby outdoor purpose-built factory near Lea Marston. The factory is making a total of 2,742 segments for the entire Delta Junction, generating over 6km (3.7 miles) of post tensioned viaduct. The segments will be transported to site using haul roads to reduce impacts on local roads. The viaduct spans will be built by raising each segment from a temporary suspension tower erected on top of each pier. When each span is complete, the suspension tower will be disassembled and moved further along the viaduct to build the next span.

Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag – a by-product of the steel manufacturing industry – will be incorporated into the structures as an eco-friendly concrete alternative, reducing carbon use by more than 60%.

Viaducts design

Following public consultation new designs for the two Water Orton Viaducts have been revealed, including new landscaped areas that will provide green public spaces and wildlife habitats.