In pictures: how Align JV is building the UK’s longest rail bridge, one piece at a time

By Daniel Gayne2022-03-28T06:00:00

HS2-VL-34881-220128_HS2_SouthPortal_viaduct_NR-12

Massive infastructure projects at Colne Valley Viaduct and Chiltern Tunnel form first stretch of HS2 outside London

In a quiet corner of Hertfordshire, just west of the village of West Hyde, two of the UK’s most ambitious and interesting infrastructure projects are starting to take shape.

To the north of HS2’s sprawling C1 south portal construction site, two huge tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are steadily making their way through chalky hills to construct the Chiltern Tunnel. To the south is the planned route of the Colne Valley Viaduct which, when complete, will be the UK’s longest railway bridge. It is being built by utilising techniques not used in this country for nearly two decades.

When HS2 is finally up and running, the two projects will form the first stretch of the railway outside London.

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