Construction is underway on a new bridge that will carry HS2 trains under the A38 near Lichfield, Staffordshire, marking a key milestone in the project.

Balfour Beatty VINCI has commenced foundation work for the Rykneld Street bridge, which is part of the high-speed rail line’s infrastructure.

A team of engineers is currently installing the bridge foundations directly beneath the A38 at Streethay. This involves the creation of 88 concrete piles, each sunk between 20 and 27 metres deep, to support the weight of the 90.5-metre bridge.

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In preparation for the piling work, Balfour Beatty VINCI and National Highways built a temporary 320-metre stretch of the A38, now in use. Once the piling is completed and the bridge deck is installed in late 2025, the realigned road will be moved back to its original location, making way for the HS2 line to pass underneath.

The Rykneld Street bridge is the final of three major structures being built in a 455-metre cutting through Streethay. The other two bridges include the A38 Southbound Slip Overbridge and the Streethay Overbridge, both designed to allow HS2 trains to pass beneath the A38, its slip roads, and the South Staffordshire freight railway.

In total, 750,000 cubic metres of earth will be excavated during the construction of the three bridges and repurposed to form embankments along the HS2 route in the local area. This project is a significant step in the ongoing development of the HS2 line.