Curzon No.2 Viaduct

The 150-metre-long Curzon No.2 Viaduct will form part of the approach to Birmingham’s new Curzon Street Station, including a 25-metre-high truss that will create a new icon on the city’s skyline.

A unique light installation, designed by British artist Liz West, will introduce a dynamic colour palette to the apertures of the steel truss, framing views of the city. Titled Out of the Blue, the proposed artwork will establish the bridge as a stunning feature of the city’s landscape both during the day and at night, when the artwork will come to life.

Viaduct construction

Birmingham City Council have approved the design of the Curzon No.2 viaduct, which is the tallest structure in the sequence of viaducts and structures that make up the Curzon Street Approaches taking HS2 trains into Birmingham.

Curzon No.2 Viaduct is a truss bridge. Light but strong, it is composed of connected elements that form triangular units. It is economic to build because it’s constructed using a relatively small amount of material. The truss will be assembled on the ground and then launched into its final position over the existing Victorian brick rail viaduct in one piece.

HS2 trains will cross the truss bridge to leave the city towards HS2’s Washwood Heath Depot. The site, located northeast of Birmingham City Centre, will maintain, service, and store HS2 trains when not in use, generating over 500 long-term jobs for local people.

Viaduct design

The viaduct will be wide enough to carry three parallel high speed rail tracks over the existing east-west rail line. Closer to Curzon Street the tracks will split even further to serve the seven platforms being built at the station. The truss has been designed to ‘wrap’ around the viaduct, extending the bottom of the steel to wrap underneath the viaduct deck and forming a visual connection to the steel beams of the adjacent structures. Curved corners provide longevity to the steelwork whilst softening the silhouette of the bridge.

The River Rea, a small watercourse that runs through the city, will pass close to the southern section of the viaduct, presenting a unique opportunity to establish a pond next to Inkerman Street for foraging urban bird species, insects, and bats. The 52-metre-long pond will lie parallel to the viaduct and is designed to increase the resiliency of the area to flooding by providing a natural overflow for rainwater. To blend the water feature into the local landscape, HS2 will plant native grassland around the pond, removing invasive species of plants including Japanese Knotweed that have already been identified near the viaduct.