Balfour Beatty VINCI, HS2’s construction partner in the West Midlands, is preparing to launch the second viaduct over the M6, marking another major milestone in the delivery of the UK’s highspeed rail network.
Credit: Balfour Beatty
M6 South Viaduct West Deck pre launch
Engineers are gearing up to move the west deck of the M6 South viaduct, which is currently being assembled in four sections near Chelmsley Wood. The first 107metre section will be slid into position over the M6 junction 4 southbound slip road , using a specialist hydraulic jack to manoeuvre the 1,250tonne weathering steel structure across 102 metres onto its concrete piers.
Once installed, the west deck will sit parallel to the 320metre east deck, which was safely launched over the M6 in three stages in 2025. The final phase of that installation was a UK first, completed while traffic continued to flow beneath the structure thanks to close collaboration between HS2 and National Highways.
Russel Luckhurt, Civil Engineer at Balfour Beatty VINCI said: “Building on the success of installing the East deck viaduct last year, we’re gearing up for the first launch of the neighbouring West deck in April.
“We’re using the same sliding technique, where a giant hydraulic jack will push the viaduct across the motorway in multiple stages throughout the year. The previous launches provided the team with invaluable experience, which they’re eager to apply to future works on this eye-catching structure spanning the M6."
The west deck has required an additional assembly stage compared with the east deck. Space constraints, the staggered positioning of the abutments, and the curve of the adjacent loop road have created a shorter launch platform, meaning the structure must be built in four smaller sections before sliding into place.
Commenting on progress, Ian Clarke, HS2 Ltd’s Project Manager for the M6 works, said: “After safely completing the first viaduct on time, our engineers have wasted no time in forging ahead with the second installation. Thanks to the world‑class engineering techniques we’re adopting on HS2, we’ve once again been able to reduce the number of temporary closures on the motorway while we carry out these essential works.”
Once complete, the twin 320‑metre viaducts will carry HS2 trains over one of the busiest parts of the motorway network, improving capacity and connectivity between Birmingham and London. The launch represents another significant achievement for Balfour Beatty VINCI as it continues to deliver major civil engineering works across the West Midlands section of HS2.