Construction has begun on the HS2 rail line’s key feature being a 99m wide bridge at Turweston (Image: Getty)
UK’s newest high-speed railway, the , is well underway with the construction of a new “green” bridge over the route.
key feature will be this 99m wide bridge at Turweston which is located near the Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire border.
The bridge will include a footpath and a country lane which looks to create a safe corridor for birds, animals and insects.
revealed the project will oversee the construction of the largest “green bridge” and is set to cross the high-speed railway near Brackley.
It will be one of 16 sixteen similar bridges that are being built over the line between London and the .
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The green bridges will keep communities connected while protecting wildlife and biodiversity (Image: Getty)
“This impressive structure will help keep communities connected, while protecting wildlife and biodiversity on either side of the railway,” said Cameron Thompson, head of delivery at HS2.
The bridge is designed to take a local road over the new railway line, near the village of Turweston in Northamptonshire with the 5,940 sq m (63,938 sq ft) bridge planted with cover for wildlife.
Currently, the foundations of this bridge have been put in place with the addition of 36 steel beams next on the list of construction.
The bridge is set to stretch for 1.5 miles past the village of Turweston on the edge of Buckinghamshire and West Northamptonshire and once built, work will then continue to place the railway tracks underneath.
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Once completed, the HS2 rail line will improve infrastructure and reduce delays on trains (Image: Getty)
Five “green tunnels” will also be built located between London and Birmingham with some being as long as one and a half miles (2.4km).
A total of 16 green bridges will be built along the £100bn line and together will help create 33 square kilometres of new wildlife habitats.
This will include around 7 million new trees and shrubs with the structure reducing carbon footprint by 42% during the design process, according to HS2 Ltd.
“Green bridges are still rare in the UK and just one example of how HS2 is leading the way in terms of innovation and environmental protection,” said Elizabeth Longinotti, HS2 Ltd’s Senior Project Manager.
HS2’s original plan was to connect London with Birmingham, Manchester, East Midlands Parkway, Leeds and York.
However, in October 2023, ex-Tory prime minister confirmed the rail line would only run from London to the West Midlands.
As of last year, around £27 billion has been spent on the building of HS2.
The massive infrastructure initiative is set to cost around £100bn in total and will allow for faster journeys, fewer delays and improved infrastructure once completed.