HS2 Birmingham Interchange nearly underway

Preparatory works at the site of the HS2 Birmingham Interchange, near the city airport and National Exhibition Centre, are approaching their conclusion, marking the official beginning of construction on the site.

Going into more detail, the site on which the HS2 Birmingham Interchange will be situated sits within a triangular patch of land between the M42, A45, and A452. This patch of land in itself has now undergone earthworks by a team of three contractor companies named LM, Laing O’Rourke, and Murphy.

The HS2 Ltd Stations Director, Matthew Botelle stated: “It is really exciting to see how much progress has been made on our Interchange site since early works started last summer. For the team working on one of the project’s biggest construction sites, it is great to see it developing by the day, with bridges and roads already being built, paving the way for construction of the railway.

“As a transformational project, HS2 will play a pivotal role in creating regeneration opportunities around the station, with plans for new jobs, homes and commercial space resulting in a huge boost to the regional economy.”

According to recently revealed designs, the focus of the Interchange will be sustainability, with it having a net zero carbon output that will be achieved through rainwater harvesting and 2,000sq m of solar panels.

The LM Project Director, Simon Russell commented: “Much of our early works programme has now been completed on the site by the LM team, including habitat creation, archaeological investigations, site clearance, and utilities diversions.

“We are now pressing ahead with the project’s first permanent works near the A452, A45 and M42, including a bridge over the M42. Our modular bridge construction strategy showcases innovative British infrastructure engineering at its best, major components manufactured offsite and assembled onsite, where they’re needed, ensuring quality, efficiency, and hugely reducing local impacts.”

The Project Coordinator of the HS2 Interchange Station, Vanessa Adams added: “Being an Apprentice working with the Interchange team at HS2 has been an exciting and eye-opening experience. I have enjoyed the flexibility around moving into several teams across the two years, meeting new people and learning about the different areas within the industry. I have enjoyed seeing this part of project develop over time, and it is great to see the so much work now happening on site.”

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