HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct

[@AndrewRoberts11]

To be formed from 1,000 low carbon concrete segments, in 111 uniquely architected and peer cast shapes, that will be epoxy bonded, to offer a more aesthetically pleasing viaduct, than the originally budgeted, bog standard, vanilla, concrete box construction. Though unlike conventional brick, stone, steel, or concrete offerings, the unique construction methods have added to the costs, and the use of epoxy bonding, and 111 unique shapes, may require the construction to be replaced in 30-40 years, a parallel viaduct possibly having to be constructed to prevent the closure of the line for several years.

[@DaveFiggley]

Dominique is seemingly unstoppable. After he has reached the last pier he'll probably just carry on and end up somewhere on the A40, having paid the ULEZ tax. I was along Moorhall Road just before Christmas and the girder seemed to be just beyond but appearances can be deceptive I suppose. Now, it's so close to crossing the canal. Nice to get a brief glimpse of Harvil Road over the Copthall 'green' Tunnel portal. Great footage, QM. Keep 'em coming.

[@stevetony6876]

👍👍 There are great views at Moorhall Road and I think it will be a great place to view the viaduct so long as they don’t plant much there and create some amenity/public spaces. Agree re Dominique..insatiable appetite to conquer…!

[@StephenWalker42]

Thanks for a great overview, including the retaining wall to receive the end of the viaduct at 0.55. What is happening to the pylons? I hope Dominique the launching girder can fit under the wires... at 3.22 the girder is ready to launch forward over the next pier and then move the small front leg to it off the temporary metal support frame. I have not yet ever seen it move forward, so hoping to soon.👍

[@stevetony6876]

Yes that pylon gets in the way! I understand it’s a new pylon for the electricity substation to be built so hopefully the launching girder should be able to fit under. I suspect the girder moves during the night when no one’s about! 😄👍

[@tomd5678]

Travelling at high speed from nowhere to nowhere

[@stevetony6876]

Travelling from East London on the Elizabeth line, alighting at Old Oak Common to go up to Manchester high speed 225 👍👍 Also to Birmingham is cool too!!

[@mickeytheviewmoo]

great views

[@stevetony6876]

👍 Yes it was good to have a half decent day for a change and fly the drone.

[@austinhallmark7060]

No sound?

[@stevetony6876]

Correct.

[@mikenelson8786]

Until it is finished and operational or failure then make a judgement.

[@stevetony6876]

👍👍

[@dacorum8053]

Scrap HS2! It is the biggest white elephant of all time which is creating an ugly scar over the previously lovely Colne Valley countryside near my home. Never before has a railway been more unwanted, unnecessary and wasteful of public money! It is connecting Old Oak Common, an area nobody has heard of in Action to a station in Birmingham unconnected to the main railway network that hardly anyone would use. If you wanted to travel to central Birmingham after this is up and running in 2050 (remember that you have to add several years for delays and also for getting the signalling right after the Elizabeth Line experience), it would be quicker and cheaper to travel from Euston to Birmingham New Street because of the extra time it would take to go to the new station Old Oak Common and then from the new station in Birmingham to central Birmingham which is far better served by Birmingham New Street.

[@stevetony6876]

I think building rail infrastructure is needed and there is 30000 people currently working on the project contributing to the economy. Anyhow thanks for watching and expressing your opinion. It’s appreciated. 👍👍

[@dacorum8053]

@@stevetony6876 Steve, those people could be constructively employed doing something far more worthwhile that would actually benefit the ordinary people of the country! They could, for example, be employed at taxpayers expense strippinhg off all the dangerous cladding on buildings that is blighting the lives of so many and so make their homes saleable again, or in building the replacement hospitals and schools we know that are in dangerous condition. They could also be employed far more usefully improving commuter rail links in the north of England and in tackling all the pinch points in the rail system that reduce capacity on existing lines. Above all, it is clear we can't afford such a massive expenditure with no return for decades. The government admitted that when they cancelled the sections north of Birmingham and then indefinitely postponed starting the route from Euston. What we are left with is a vastly expensive corpse of a HS railway of no use whatsoever! The whole project should be given a decent burial now and the money put to far better use!

[@stevetony6876]

Expenditure on rail infrastructure is investment, stripping cladding from buildings isn’t. Totally agree something needs to happen around Manchester like there was around London Bridge a few years ago. Also there’s TRU! Edit : I couldn’t forget the Hope Valley Capacity scheme!!

[@dacorum8053]

@@stevetony6876 Steve, Spending money on HS2 is not an investment because it will produce a very significant loss on the money spent. There never was an honest business case for HS2 based on the original estimated cost and the escalating cost of completing the project completely blows the business case for HS2 right out of the water! When there is no business case for a project, money spent on it is not an investment! On the other hand, improving commuter rail links in the north IS a worthwhile investment because of the real benefits that would bring to the daily lives of commuters and businesses and to the efficiency of the rail network. That rail investment would bring a genuine return on that investment. I have to strongly disagree with you when you say that stripping dangerous cladding from buildings is not an investment because that would turn unsaleable and unmortgageable properties into saleable ones once again, so providing a net and substantial housing benefit to the economy. In fact, making safety improvements to buildings should always be considered an investment in the same way as safety improvements to the railways must always be considered an investment.

[@TomTomicMic]

We can't rely on Victorian infrastructure in 2024, the HS2 line should have started in Leeds to Manchester and gone from there to London, it costs loads due to the conservation measures and the price of land, over it's 100 year plus lifetime it would cost 1 billion a year, we spend 5 billion on illegal economic immigrants per year (Maybe more), I'd rather have the trains!?!

[@barryjatkinson]

Pointless and destructive. The billions would have been better spent elsewhere.

[@stevetony6876]

Well there’s always some degree of destruction on infrastructure projects of scale….Thanks for commenting! 👍

[@barryjatkinson]

@stevetony6876 It's officially a pointless infrastructure project. It's not going to deliver despite the huge cost. The massive cost cannot be overemphasised.

[@stevetony6876]

@barryjatkinson well I agree something needs to change to release the capacity on the wcml. As for cost…well what figure would you put on as being reasonable for phase 1?

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

​@stevetony6876, You ask a good question. As someone who worked on the cost side of the construction industry for a national Contractor I see many comments on here from a lot of people who hsve no understanding of how the construction industry works snd the impossibility of anyone being remotely capable of putting an accurate cost on this Project.

[@howardjones6752]

Thus spoke the NIMBY 😂