Coventry-Leamington railway line to temporarily close for HS2 bridge work
Rail replacement buses will be in operation whilst the work is being completed.
The railway line between Coventry and Leamington Spa will close for over a week, as a bridge is built for HS2.
The 47-metre-long overbridge in Kenilworth will allow the high-speed railway to pass underneath the existing line.
Work during the 200-hour rail blockade from tomorrow (29 July) will include removing 91 metres of rail track and excavating 15,000 cubic metres of material to create the space for the structure to be moved into.
James Briggs, Project Manager at HS2, said: "HS2’s new 5,600 tonne bridge has been built on-site adjacent to the existing railway and will be slid into place under the Coventry to Leamington Spa railway line this weekend. This innovative approach means it takes days, not months, to safely complete our works, keeping disruption to a minimum for rail passengers."
The huge structure is 22 metres long and 11 metres wide and was built on land next to the existing railway line by a team of around 270 people.
In the short term, it will allow construction traffic to pass under this line, reducing the number of lorries on the public highways, and features an access bridge for a nearby farmer.
Network Rail have stated several major projects are taking place in various places over nine days on the Coventry to Leamington Spa line between Saturday 29 July and Sunday 6 August.
Over the nine days, different sections of the railway need to close, with rail replacement buses in operation to keep passengers on the move.
They encourage travellers to see how their individual journey could be impacted by checking www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator for detailed travel information.
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