HS2 has paused works at Colne Valley Viaduct to allow for “urgent remedial works” to be carried out inside the viaduct.
According to a letter sent to residents seen by CM, the remedial works, which will involve the breaking out of concrete, started on Monday (19 February) and will continue during the night “for the next 2-3 days”.
The letter said: “As you may be aware, the launching girder for the Colne Valley Viaduct has now reached the Grand Union Canal next to Harefield Marina. The girder was due to start moving over the Grand Union Canal this week, however, we have had to pause this whilst urgent remedial works are carried out inside the viaduct.”
A spokesperson for HS2 explained that contractors need to repeat cable tensioning work on the most recently completed span of the viaduct.
"To do this, first we must drill out the span’s concrete join," they added. "We hope to complete it this week, and then construction work will continue as planned.”
HS2 has offered alternative accommodation to residents impacted by the “noisiest” of the night operations.
At 3.4km (2 miles), running across a series of lakes and waterways between Hillingdon and the M25, the £2bn Colne Valley Viaduct is set to be the longest railway bridge in the UK.
A 160m-long ‘launching girder’ is lifting into position each of the 1,000 giant concrete deck segments that form the viaduct’s arches, each weighing up to 140 tonnes.
It is being constructed by Align, a joint venture comprising Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick.
