RailInfrastructure BridgeConstruction InfrastructureProjects HS2

130-Metre Steel Viaduct Launched into Place on HS2 Route

*The 1,620-tonne Longhole viaduct deck being launched across the Grand Union Canal using the skid shoe method. Source: HS2*

Engineers working on the High Speed 2 (HS2) railway project have successfully installed the 1,620-tonne Longhole viaduct across the Grand Union Canal near Ufton in Warwickshire, reopening the waterway seven days ahead of schedule.

The 130-metre-long steel bridge was launched into position during a two-day operation beginning 4 March 2026. The structure was pushed across a country road, canal and towpath using the skid shoe method, a technique commonly used for heavy bridge launches.

Two hydraulic jacks advanced the deck at speeds of up to 10 metres per hour, while specialist pads coated with a Teflon-like material reduced friction to allow the structure to slide smoothly into place.

Once positioned above the canal, the weathering steel viaduct was lowered onto two abutments and two piers and secured in its final configuration on 5 March 2026.

The bridge installation followed two and a half years of preparatory engineering work. Key geotechnical and structural works included:

Installation of 34 piles reaching depths of up to 30 metres
Construction of two reinforced concrete piers positioned parallel to the canal
Development of two bridge abutments
Placement of 37 precast planks forming the base of the bridge deck

A new retaining wall constructed with seven-metre-deep sheet piles was also installed to protect the structural integrity of the canal during construction. The new concrete-capped wall replaced the historic “wash wall” and soft canal bank formed when the waterway was widened around a century ago.

Vibration monitoring was carried out throughout the works to protect the nearby Grade II listed Longhole Bridge, which carries traffic across the canal.

The Longhole viaduct forms part of a key section of the HS2 route between London and the West Midlands. It is located about one kilometre from the north portal of the Long Itchington Wood Tunnel.

After exiting the tunnel, HS2 trains will travel along the Ufton Wood cutting before joining the Welsh Road embankment, which connects directly to the new viaduct. The bridge launch was deliberately scheduled during the Grand Union Canal’s winter closure period to minimise disruption to canal traffic before the start of the boating season.