HS2 installs first 55-metre span of new Saltley Viaduct in Birmingham
Engineers have moved the first steel span of the new Saltley Viaduct into position over the Birmingham to Derby railway in east Birmingham, completing the opening phase of a four-stage replacement of a road bridge that stands in the path of the future high-speed line.
The 55-metre steel section was assembled on land beside the site of the demolished original viaduct, then driven around 125 metres into place on self-propelled modular transporters over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The work was delivered with Network Rail during a temporary closure of the Birmingham to Derby lines, which reopened to passengers as planned on the morning of Tuesday 1 September.
The original Saltley Viaduct carried a 183-metre section of the B4114 and closed to vehicles and pedestrians in May 2026 before being demolished. Its replacement is being built two metres taller than the structure it replaces, so that HS2 trains can pass safely underneath.
A four-phase build over railway, canal and river
Balfour Beatty VINCI, HS2’s construction partner in the West Midlands, is delivering the structure in four phases because of what sits beneath and around it: the Birmingham to Derby lines, the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal, the River Rea and the future HS2 railway itself.
With the first phase complete, engineers are assembling a second span, 35 metres long, that will cross the new HS2 alignment. It is due to be lowered into position by crane in October. The third and fourth spans, which cross the canal, follow later this year, after which the team will complete the tie-in between the railway boundary and the abutment carrying the structure. A separate bridge over the River Rea forms part of the wider realignment of the B4114.
Nic Ryder, HS2 Ltd’s project manager for the works, said the team had demolished the original structure and installed the first replacement span in the three months since the road closed, leaving the project on track to move to its next phase.
| Stage | Published date or period |
|---|---|
| Viaduct closed to vehicles and pedestrians | 10 May 2026 |
| Original structure demolished and first span installed | Within the three months following the closure |
| Span 1 (55 m) moved into place over the Birmingham to Derby lines | August Bank Holiday weekend 2026; railway reopened 1 September 2026 |
| Span 2 (35 m) lowered by crane over the future HS2 line | October 2026 (planned) |
| Spans 3 and 4 installed over the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal | Later in 2026 (planned) |
| Tie-in to the abutment and new bridge over the River Rea | After spans 3 and 4; no date published |
| Viaduct opens to motorists and pedestrians | November 2027 (planned); HS2 lists an estimated end date of 8 November 2027 |
| Total planned closure duration | Up to 18 months from 10 May 2026 |
The method borrowed from Aston Church Road
The installation approach was chosen to keep the railway closure as short as possible. Balfour Beatty VINCI used the same method two years ago on the neighbouring Aston Church Road overbridge, assembling the deck clear of the tracks before moving it across on wheels.
Dan Binns, Senior Project Manager for Balfour Beatty VINCI, said:
“We chose the same technique used on the neighbouring Aston Church Road bridge…”
That bridge is itself an HS2 replacement: an 84-metre structure weighing 1,600 tonnes that was moved into position in five hours on 10 August 2024. It now carries part of the diversion route serving the Saltley Viaduct closure.
What changes for road users
The replacement viaduct is expected to open to motorists and pedestrians in November 2027. It will be four and a half metres wider than the structure it replaces, adding space for cyclists and pedestrians, and the wider walkways will carry LED lighting set into the panels.
HS2 Ltd and Balfour Beatty VINCI worked with Birmingham City Council, Transport for the West Midlands and National Express on diversion routes and bus provision through the construction period. HS2 Ltd has also awarded Birmingham City Council more than £2.5 million for road safety improvements along the route of the railway, which must be spent by the end of December 2026.
| Feature | Original viaduct | Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Reference structure | Two metres taller |
| Width | Reference structure | Four and a half metres wider |
| Clearance for the high-speed railway | Not tall enough for the new railway to pass beneath | Built so that HS2 trains pass underneath |
| Space for cyclists and pedestrians | Not specified in the published material | Additional space provided by the extra width |
| Walkway lighting | Not specified in the published material | LED lighting set into the walkway panels |
| Section of the B4114 involved | 183 metres | Realigned B4114, including a new bridge over the River Rea |
| Status | Closed to traffic in May 2026 and demolished | Due to open to motorists and pedestrians in November 2027 |
Context: where the viaduct sits on the HS2 route
Saltley Viaduct stands about 3.2 kilometres north-east of Birmingham city centre and crosses the high-speed route on its approach to Birmingham Curzon Street. The existing bridge was not tall enough for the new railway to pass beneath it, which is why the structure is being rebuilt rather than repaired.
Most of the new viaduct is being built offline, next to the current alignment, to shorten the road closure and limit the amount of utility diversion needed. The road closed on 10 May 2026 and the closure is planned to last up to 18 months, with an estimated end date of 8 November 2027. Traffic is being diverted via Aston Church Road, Washwood Heath Road and Duddeston Mill Road.
