WORK began this week on the UK’s longest railway bridge, with sinking the first of almost 300 piles that will form the foundations for the HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct.
The viaduct, which will carry the rail line for 3.4km across a series of lakes and waterways, will be almost a kilometre longer than the Forth Rail Bridge and carry trains travelling at speeds of up to 200mph.
The design was inspired by the flight of a stone skipping across the water, with a series of elegant spans carrying the railway around 10m above the surface of the lakes, the River Colne and Grand Union Canal.
It will be supported by 56 piers, with the widest spans reserved for where the viaduct crosses the lakes.
Over the next year, engineers will build 292 piles underground to support the viaduct piers.
Instead of hammering the piles into the ground, holes will be bored before being backfilled.
The main deck of the viaduct will be built in sections at a temporary factory nearby before being assembled from north to south.
HS2’s Central 1 Project Client Rohan Perin said: “The Colne Valley Viaduct will be one of HS2’s most iconic structures.”
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