TWO new HS2 bridges have opened near Leamington – one for cars and one for bicycles.
The Fosse Way bridge carries the B4455 across the controversial high speed rail line near Offchurch, and was opened days after the nearby Offchurch Greenway bridge, which carries the walking and cycle path between Leamington and Rugby.
With the new bridges open, HS2 contractors will now begin the job of demolishing the old section of the road to make way for the cutting which will carry the new line.
Vicki Lee, HS2 senior project manager, said: “It’s great to see the Fosse Way and Offchurch Greenway bridges open to the public within a few days of each other. These bridges may be relatively small, but they play a vital role in keeping communities connected and I’d like to thank everyone who worked so hard over the last few years to get them open to the public.”
After crossing HS2, the Greenway currently crosses the B4455 at ground level before continuing towards Rugby. This crossing will also be replaced next year with a new bridge.
A total of four bridges have been completed this year on the stretch of line in this part of Warwickshire, following the Welsh Road Underbridge, which was opened to traffic in February, and the A46 box structure, completed in April.
There are more than 200 bridges on the HS2 project, ranging from foot and cycle bridges and wildlife-friendly ‘green bridges’, through to enormous viaducts like the Colne Valley – the longest railway bridge in the UK.
Some 54 kilometres of the 190km line linking London and BIrmingham will cut through the heart of Warwickshire, with a new station also being built near Birmingham Airport. Swathes of the county’s landscape has already been transformed by work on the line.
A recent government commissioned report sets out evidence of the historic mishandling of the line including a lack of ministerial oversight and scrutiny, inadequate control of the project by HS2 Ltd and a lack of effective incentives with the supply chain, which will collectively cost the taxpayer billions more than planned.
The government has confirmed the opening of HS2 would be delayed beyond the target date of 2033.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander vowed in June to address years of mismanagement and restore public trust in the highly controversial line.
