HS2 engineers reach key milestone with Water Orton viaduct spans
Subscribe to our free newsletter today to keep up to date with the latest construction and civil engineering news.
A key milestone has been reached on the HS2 high-speed rail project, as engineers completed two major viaduct spans during the Christmas period near Water Orton in Warwickshire. The work, carried out during a five-day closure of the Birmingham to Peterborough rail line, marks visible progress on one of the most complex junctions in the UK rail network.
The Water Orton viaducts form part of the Delta junction, a vast Y-shaped rail interchange to the east of Birmingham. This section of the network is critical to the overall HS2 programme, linking the mainline to Birmingham Curzon Street while also providing connections north and south. Much like the nearby Spaghetti Junction for road traffic, Delta junction comprises a dense configuration of flyovers, underpasses and bridges.
The recent milestone was delivered by Balfour Beatty VINCI, HS2’s main works contractor for the area. Engineers used the traditionally quieter Christmas travel period to execute a complex operation involving precast segmental spans lifted into place above a live railway. With the new spans in position, train services resumed after the closure, and construction attention now shifts to the next sections of the viaduct over the A446 road and the M42 motorway.
Engineering complexity and scale of Delta junction
Delta junction is designed to accommodate trains travelling at 360 kilometres per hour on the mainline and approximately 200 kilometres per hour on approaches to Birmingham. To achieve these speeds safely and efficiently, the layout spans more than 2.6 miles and includes five major viaducts, numerous smaller bridges and overpasses, as well as floodplain mitigation infrastructure.
The Water Orton viaducts are twin single-track structures that will ultimately stretch for around 1.4 kilometres. Once complete, they will carry HS2 trains across two existing railway lines, a waterway, and several key transport corridors. These structures are fundamental to enabling HS2 to integrate with Birmingham’s urban core and to support operations at the rolling stock depot in Washwood Heath.
The design challenge lies not only in the physical length and height of the viaducts but also in the need to thread them through a complex terrain of existing infrastructure. The thirty-two concrete supports that hold up the viaducts rise to 20 metres in some areas and must be constructed with precision to accommodate the forces of high-speed travel.
Modular viaduct construction using cantilever methods
Central to the delivery of the Water Orton viaducts is the use of a cantilever construction technique that allows spans to be assembled incrementally. Each viaduct is composed of hundreds of prefabricated concrete segments, produced off-site at a temporary facility in Lea Marston. In total, 2,742 segments will be required across the 3.7-mile Delta junction viaduct system.
Once transported to site, the segments are placed one by one using a swivel crane and a 22-metre mast. Each span is temporarily supported by cable stays and, once fully positioned, the structure is permanently joined by post-tensioned cables fitted through a hollow core. This enables the temporary supports to be moved forward and reused on the next span.
The method has been praised by engineers for improving safety, reducing disruption and enhancing build quality. It also reflects HS2’s broader strategy to industrialise construction wherever possible, making use of offsite production and repeatable methods to improve efficiency and lower long-term costs.
Stephane Ciccolini, Senior Works Manager at Balfour Beatty VINCI, noted that this stage of the project required round-the-clock work over the holidays. He described the engineering feat as one not previously attempted in the UK at this scale, highlighting the precision and logistical coordination involved.
Milestone builds confidence in HS2 delivery
Sam Hinkley, Senior Project Manager at HS2 Ltd, welcomed the progress and thanked the teams who worked over the festive break. He said the completed spans represent a key structural element within one of the most technically demanding parts of the entire HS2 route.
With public attention focused on HS2’s future following the cancellation of Phase 2 north of Birmingham, visible progress such as this is important for reinforcing confidence in the programme. The government has made clear its intention to see Phase One, from London to Birmingham, completed in full. Milestones like Water Orton help demonstrate that despite political headwinds and delays, the project continues to move forward.
Over the next year, work will continue across Delta junction, with additional spans to be installed across major roadways and environmentally sensitive areas. When finished, this section will play a central role in HS2’s ability to reduce journey times, increase rail capacity and modernise the UK’s transport network.
For now, the newly installed spans at Water Orton stand as a physical and symbolic marker of progress on one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects.
Sources