HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct construction updates

[stuu]

I thought the viaduct out of London Bridge towards Greenwich is the longest?

So did I. I asked HS2 about it on Twitter but they never replied. Some sort of technicality presumably, they do have a thing for hyperbole

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

So did I. I asked HS2 about it on Twitter but they never replied. Some sort of technicality presumably, they do have a thing for hyperbole

HS2 call it the longest bridge.
You wouldn't call the Greenwich viaduct a "bridge" perhaps?
Maybe the over-water thing applies, but the Colne Valley structure is over land sections as well, and most of the water sections are over artificial lakes.

 

[CarltonA]

I had a walk underneath the viaduct on the Grand Union towpath this morning. I noticed the parapets are still to be installed above the canal. The piers either side are of a different design their neighbours, with bipod supports and some decorative embellishments to the concrete.

I am wondering if the structure will receive a canal bridge number and identity plate. Not sure if the nearby Denham Viaduct has one.

It's quite a nice area to walk with parking available at Denham Country Park or a reasonable walk from Denham station.

 

[swt_passenger]

The piers either side are of a different design their neighbours, with bipod supports and some decorative embellishments to the concrete.

I believe thats because the canal bridge is one of the main fixed points, midway between two viaduct expansion joints. There‘s a drawing in post #214 that shows the set up, I took it from a video. There‘s 3 fixed points with slightly different piers to their neighbours.

 

[spyinthesky]

HS2 call it the longest bridge.
You wouldn't call the Greenwich viaduct a "bridge" perhaps?
Maybe the over-water thing applies, but the Colne Valley structure is over land sections as well, and most of the water sections are over artificial lakes.

Of course it is several viaducts connected by bridges to to confuse things.

 

[hwl]

HS2 call it the longest bridge.
You wouldn't call the Greenwich viaduct a "bridge" perhaps?
Maybe the over-water thing applies, but the Colne Valley structure is over land sections as well, and most of the water sections are over artificial lakes.

Does it have 5 or more spans?

• If so it is a viaduct
• If not it is bridge

 

[Mr. SW]

Of course it is several viaducts connected by bridges to to confuse things.

If the Waterloo-Waterloo East connection hadn't been removed, you could theoretically have a viaduct of over 8 miles from just east of Queenstown Road to Greenwich. I checked.

But I Believe the viaducts in South London are counted as separate structures, not a single whole.

 

[Jack Hay]

I always thought the longest bridge was the viaduct in Manchester that starts south of Piccadilly station and continues north, then west, through Oxford Road and Deansgate stations as far as Dawson Street. (And it may now be even longer, if measured from south of Piccadilly, round the Ordsall curve to the site of Manchester Exchange). I guess HS2 is relying on there being a distinction between a bridge and a viaduct, but until reading this thread, I hadn't realised there was such a distinction. Is the Manchester viaduct longer than the Greenwich one?

 

[Nottingham59]

It's quite a nice area to walk with parking available at Denham Country Park or a reasonable walk from Denham station.

Enjoy it before the Banshee howl of an HS2 train at 360km/h spoils it for everyone

 

[PLY2AYS]

Enjoy it before the Banshee howl of an HS2 train at 360km/h spoils it for everyone

What’s that in old money?

 

[The Planner]

Enjoy it before the Banshee howl of an HS2 train at 360km/h spoils it for everyone

They won't be doing that though.

 

[Nottingham59]

They won't be doing that though.

We'll see. Most of the noise nuisance from Japanese Shinkansen comes from the pantographs. On HS2 these will be above the height of the noise barriers on the Colne Viaduct.

 

[swt_passenger]

A video has just been uploaded to YouTube by ‘Cuemaster’, showing the current position of launch girder Dominique, just a few yards to go and it will be completely on the embankment:

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Sep 2024 ==

UPDATE 19 Sept 24:

I’ve just linked to a new video by “cuemaster” in the Copthall Tunnel thread, it confirms the launch girder is now completely off the viaduct ready for dismantling:

HS2 Construction Updates - Copthall Tunnel

Found a new video on youtube of a flyover of Copthall tunnel - a 550m cut and cover tunnel located between West Ruislip tunnel portal and the Colne Valley viaduct. Some additional drawings/maps in the following document...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Snow1964]

New drone video

Looks like temporary construction deck has already been removed from some of the lake. Video shows a barge that appears to be removing the temporary piles.

 

[Pete_uk]

I wonder how it will be seen in 100 years time.

 

[Flying Phil]

It is going to fit seamlessly into the green landscape and the contrast between the canal barges and high speed trains will be amazing.

 

[Snow1964]

Another new drone video from Cuemaster, showing ongoing removal of the temporary construction deck

 

[swt_passenger]

A video from ‘SimonC” showing progress with launch girder disassembly:

 

[swt_passenger]

Another update on the Colne Valley launch girder dismantling progress, and earthmoving in the vicinity of Copthall tunnel.

I noticed there will be a redundant brick arch bridge over the Chiltern route, I think it looks as if it’s a dead end as it’s the former route of Harvill Road, so is that likely to be left, or will it be demolished?

 

[swt_passenger]

A new video has been uploaded showing some progress with removal of some viaduct pier cofferdams and haul roads across the lake:

 

[Flying Phil]

That is a very good looking structure!

 

[swt_passenger]

That is a very good looking structure!

Yes, it‘s not always the case that the finished structure matches the artists impressions so well…

 

[Casper Pesky]

21st Century stablemate for Glenfinnan.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

A new video has been uploaded showing some progress with removal of some viaduct pier cofferdams and haul roads across the lake:

Got the temporary haul road and cofferdams out the way quickly. Also having kust travelled down in Europe good to see the sound barriers will allow a view although keeping them clean maybe a challenge.

 

[swt_passenger]

Another video update on the Colne Valley viaduct, it‘s mostly taken in the vicinity of the Grand Union Canal crossing, and shows the current state of removal of temporary works:

 

[Flying Phil]

Thanks for the update -
Looking forward to seeing the tracks laid, the wires up ....and the trains running.
Not looking forward to seeing that pristine concrete disfigured with graffiti.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Be quite challenging to get to some of those piers mins.

 

[Skie]

Those glass panels will be getting pretty dirty come the first Autumn in service.

 

[BananaRepublic]

This looks far too narrow to accomodate HS2 tracks spaced at 4.5 to 5 metres between track centre lines.

420-Looking-south-towards-the-A412-crossing-showing-the-4-metre-sound-barriers-Nov.-2024-01_416.jpg



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[jfowkes]

This looks far too narrow to accomodate HS2 tracks spaced at 4.5 to 5 metres between track centre lines.

"We accidentally built it too narrow" would legit be the funniest thing to happen to the HS2 project.