A railway bridge record stood for more than 130 years. The Colne Valley Viaduct changed that.
The latest case study in CECA’s ‘30 Projects for 30 Years’ series celebrates Britain’s longest rail bridge: a 2.1-mile structure delivered for HS2 Ltd by Align JV, comprising Bouygues Travaux Publics UK, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick.
Behind that achievement are 1,000 precast deck segments, more than a decade of planning, and the expertise needed to build across lakes, rivers and existing infrastructure.Coordinating design, manufacture and assembly on this scale demanded precision and close collaboration across the project team.
The result is a major piece of infrastructure that will carry high-speed services between London and the Midlands as part of HS2.
As we mark CECA’s 30th anniversary, the project offers a striking example of our members’ contribution to building Britain – and of the people and skills that make ambitious engineering possible.