The construction of a bridge that will allow HS2 trains to pass under the A43 near Brackley has made progress with the structure’s steel beams lifted into position recently during a series of three weekend closures. The A43 links Oxford, Brackley and Northampton and provides access to Silverstone and connections between the M40 and M1.
Preparation for the work began in 2023 when HS2 engineers, working closely with National Highways, realigned the road to create an ‘island’ between the two carriageways big enough for the construction of the new bridge deck.
Using a ‘top-down’ approach, they sank 52m deep piled foundations and then built the pile caps and piers that will support the 66-metre-long bridge deck carrying the road. In March 2025 they lifted the last parts of the seven steel beams that will support the bridge deck using a 750-tonne crane.
With the beams now in position, the team will focus on the concrete deck and parapets. Once the bridge has been built, the road will be moved back onto the new bridge and excavation can begin to create space for the railway to pass underneath. The multi-stage approach was designed to keep traffic flowing and disruption to a minimum.