HS2 time-lapse: Giant box structure moved into place under A46 Kenilworth Bypass in Warwickshire

On Thursday 17 April 2025, HS2 successfully installed a huge 14,500-tonne box structure which will carry the high speed line under the A46 Kenilworth Bypass in Warwickshire.

The huge box was built on land next to a section of the A46 rather than constructing it beneath the carriageway itself – avoiding the need for up to two years of traffic management measures.

The bridge installation was completed as part of a three week closure of a section of the A46 between Festival Island (Coventry) and Thickthorn Island (Kenilworth).

The road was closed at 8pm on Friday 11 April 2025, and our teams of engineers worked 24 hours a day for 5 days to safely remove the existing road surface and embankment to create the space for the bridge to be located.

The completed structure was moved into position under the existing carriageway using an innovative technique. This involved a jacking mechanism, designed by specialist civil and structural engineering company ​⁠‪@freyssinetuk7741‬ which pushed the box across on a guiding raft for a total distance of 64 metres.

Now that the bridge is installed, we will use the remainder of the road closure window to complete drainage works and install a new road surface and markings. We will then work with ‪@NationalHighways‬ to assess and inspect the new bridge and highway surfacing before re-opening the A46 Kenilworth Bypass to road users.

The closure and associated work was planned in close collaboration with​⁠ @NationalHighways ​⁠and is being delivered by HS2’s construction partner for the West Midlands, Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV).

Find out more about HS2 at: https://www.hs2.org.uk/

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