Engineers have finished construction of Britain’s longest railway bridge, the Colne Valley Viaduct, built for the controversial HS2 high-speed rail line.
The viaduct stretches 2.1 miles between Harefield in north-west London and Denham in Buckinghamshire, making it 450 feet longer than the Tay Bridge in Scotland, which has held the record since 1887.
Designed and built over a decade, the structure crosses the River Colne, Grand Union Canal, lakes, and several roads, using 1,000 specially shaped deck segments.
Trains are expected to reach speeds of up to 200mph on the bridge, which is one of more than 50 major structures planned along the 140-mile line between London and Birmingham.
HS2 project manager, Billy Ahluwalia described the viaduct as a stunning feat of engineering that will no doubt stand the test of time.
The £1.6bn project section, delivered by a consortium including Sir Robert McAlpine and French firm Bouygues, also features a 10-mile tunnel through the Chilterns.
A 700-tonne machine nicknamed Dominique was used last year to lift the pre-cast concrete decks into place, while final elements such as noise barriers, drainage, sensors, and cameras were completed in recent weeks.
However, despite the milestone, doubts remain about HS2’s future. Commercial services are not expected before the mid-2030s, after the Government ordered a reset of the project due to spiraling costs now estimated at £100bn.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has vowed to scrap HS2 entirely if his party comes to power, raising the risk that the award-winning viaduct could stand unused.
