In total, 2,742 concrete segments will be used to build the Delta Junction, a triangle-shaped series of viaducts that will take high-speed trains between London, the Midlands and the North.
The deck segments – which weigh between 50t and 80t – are being made at a purpose-built outdoor factory at Kingsbury, Warwickshire. The 55,000 m2 site employs about 1,000 people in total, with a team of 200 tasked with building the network of nine viaducts that will cross motorways, roads and footpaths.
The precast yard will turn out up to eight segments per day, The segments are 3.5m high and come in two different widths - 7m or 11m - to support single-track and double-track sections of the railway.
A 54m-long gantry crane lifts each segment during the manufacturing cycle, ahead of their onward transport to nearby Water Orton and Coleshill ready for on-site assembly.
HS2’s Delta Junction forms two spurs that branch off the main HS2 line. Trains will travel between the Birmingham Curzon Street Station terminus and the North, and between Curzon Street and the South, accounting for about 10km of HS2 tracks.
The project is being delivered by HS2’s main works contractor for the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV), which is constructing 90km of HS2.
HS2 senior project manager for Delta Junction, Panos Psathas said: “We’re pleased to see this next milestone on the Midlands section of HS2, as the first segments come off the production line, ready for the BBV team to start building the viaducts next year.
“The Kingsbury precast segment factory is a major HS2 site in the Midlands, supporting around 1,000 jobs. Importantly, it’s also home to BBV’s Skills Academy, providing training opportunities across a whole range of disciplines for people in the region.”
Balfour Beatty Vinci Project Manager Pascal Albertelli is overseeing the construction of the nine viaducts, including segment precast production at the Kingsbury site. He said: “Watching the first segments roll off the production line recently at our precast yard in Kingsbury was a really proud moment for me and my team, who’ve worked tirelessly over the past two years to get us to this point.
“It’s a fascinating phase of the project to be involved in, because of the sheer scale and the innovative production methods we’ve introduced here. It’s incredible to think that this open-air factory will help to build HS2’s Delta Junction, located just a few miles down the road.”
The first segments made at Kingsbury will be used to build the 500m River Tame West viaduct near Water Orton. This viaduct crosses the River Tame valley and joins the Watton House Embankment to the Faraday Embankment for trains on the journey from London to the North. Construction of the substructures supporting the viaduct deck started earlier this year, with deck construction starting by the end of 2023.
