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East-West Rail (EWR): Oxford-Bletchley construction progress

swt_passenger

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Aren't there three Stockley flyovers? The original one, the new one immediately north of the old one, and the other new one a bit further east. Maybe the third has a different name. The first and third are box-type, as is the proposed flyover at Ravensthorpe on the Huddersfield-Westtown scheme.
Yes you’re right. I didn’t even look at that one, probably off my screen at the time!

It’s an interesting question, maybe a box structure for the furthest west of the 3 was going to be too wide. The curved girder bridge seems to be in two parts as well, leaving a massive pier between the tracks. I guess there’s definitely no standard solution…

I found there’s another obvious but slightly curved box section example at Reading, where the west curve goes under the mains which are on a straight viaduct.
 
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snowball

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There are a lot of box-type bridges where modern roads or motorways go over railways at high skew, especially in Scotland. There are lots where the M6, A74(M) and former A74 go over the WCML between Carlisle and Glasgow. The one at Mossband, between Carlisle and Gretna, is a 2008 box-type replacement for a 1964 post-tensioned multi-span viaduct which was having problems with its cables and would have needed to be replaced even without the motorway scheme.

There are not many box-type road-over-road bridges but there are two here:


However I'm drifting off topic and in danger of getting moved so I'll stop.
 

Bald Rick

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There are a lot of box-type bridges where modern roads or motorways go over railways at high skew, especially in Scotland. There are lots where the M6, A74(M) and former A74 go over the WCML between Carlisle and Glasgow.

Many of those on the M74 / A74(M) are pre cast concrete arch structures, backfilled with earth.
 

Trainee9

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Bletchley Viaduct -Sunday.
One of the giant cranes appears to have departed the Eaton Road site, and the other has its jib lowered to the horizontal.

A link to a recent newsletter I had not seen before:
 
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Latest updates on construction:

Charbridge Lane, Bicester
charbridge.jpg

Station Road, Launton
Launton.jpg

Marsh Gibbon
Marsh Gibbon.jpg

Main Street, Charndon
Charndon.jpg
 

snowball

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Because the board software combines consecutive posts by the same person into one, while still showing the date of the first post, readers may not have noticed that post #64 by Trainee9 now includes the latest issue of a scheme newsletter, worth a look.
 

swt_passenger

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The picture of the Charndon bridge above suggests they must have found a big problem with the outer piers or possibly the footing depths, because it was only supposed to get raised parapets, (not done yet), and “minor repairs”. Theres also been a few extra pattress plates installed, those black discs that hold the walls together…
 

alexx

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Little update on the new Charbridge Lane, Bicester bridge: When I went past on Thursday last week they'd got what appears to be the majority of the bridge supports on one side of the line built. Will try and get some photos next time I'm passing.
 

The Planner

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Must be gauge clearance. Looks like the current bridge was altered at some point too. Streetview shows it with a cobbled surface.
 
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Trainee9

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At the Bletchley viaduct, the second giant crane has now departed the site after some weeks of apparent inactivity. Several piers now have work platforms attached to them, and some overnight work appeared to be taking place on the night of 5/6 June.
 

richieb1971

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Since this is a new railway. Where infrastructure on bridges are brand new, will the 7 foot walls that we experienced north of Bedford be commonplace along EWR where bridges currently do not exist? I heard the reason 7 foot walls are commonplace now is because the railways had to abide by EU standards. Since Brexit, will those rules be abided by even though we left the EU? There are lots of WCML bridges built before we joined the EU that still don't abide by the 7 foot ruling. Also, finally... the 7 foot walls were introduced where electrification was taking place. Since this line isn't being electrified would they build higher walls in the first instance just in case, or cheap it out and fix it later if OHLE gets introduced after services have already started?

These bridges in Bicester area, what configuration and measurements do they have?
 

swt_passenger

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Since this is a new railway. Where infrastructure on bridges are brand new, will the 7 foot walls that we experienced north of Bedford be commonplace along EWR where bridges currently do not exist? I heard the reason 7 foot walls are commonplace now is because the railways had to abide by EU standards. Since Brexit, will those rules be abided by even though we left the EU? There are lots of WCML bridges built before we joined the EU that still don't abide by the 7 foot ruling. Also, finally... the 7 foot walls were introduced where electrification was taking place. Since this line isn't being electrified would they build higher walls in the first instance just in case, or cheap it out and fix it later if OHLE gets introduced after services have already started?

These bridges in Bicester area, what configuration and measurements do they have?
Normal highways containment H4A standard is 1.8m anyway. Here’s the drawing for the main road bridge in Bicester:

B39685CE-0513-438C-AF24-90D2F43A0940.jpeg
 

Bald Rick

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It is, strictly, nothing to do with being in the EU or not. It is because of the Technical Standards for Interoperability, which the U.K. still complies with.
 

alexx

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Here’s some pics taken yesterday of the bridge construction progress at Charbridge Lane in Bicester.
 

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davetheguard

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Here’s some pics taken yesterday of the bridge construction progress at Charbridge Lane in Bicester.

Interesting cloud formation behind the crane - almost looks like Bicester has been moved to sit below the Alps; I'm sure that's snow on top of those "mountains"
 

och aye

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Video of construction of Bletchley flyover:


Don't ask me for the track ID! (DJs and electronic music fans should hopefully get that joke :lol:)


The new flyover will eventually be at the centre of the first direct rail service to connect communities between Oxford, Bedford and Cambridge in more than 50 years.


The film released by Network Rail today (Thursday 10 June) shows how 103 precast concrete beams were lifted into place over the West Coast main line during a full railway closure in early May.


The team used two 600 tonne crawler cranes to lift the 40 tonne-beams into place. Each lift took approximately 25-30 minutes to complete.


As well as the lifting, the complex web of 25,000-volt overhead electric cables which power trains had to be dismantled then reinstated underneath the new flyover.


Before the early May bank holiday work the flyover’s support structure was built using 138 precast concrete shell abutments.
 

gallafent

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Don't ask me for the track ID! (DJs and electronic music fans should hopefully get that joke :lol:)
Note that I haven't even watched the video yet, … but just to note that every time something happened during the second innings of a cricket match I attended last Thursday evening, a certain track was played … now let's see. [watches video] … Ah, no it wasn't as I expected (Darude: Sandstorm) …………… but Shazam will find it for you ;) !
 

Trainee9

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Bletchley viaduct: in the most obvious change for several weeks, Pier 30 near the Buckingham road now has its cap and bearing blocks, and Pier 29 now has its height extension and bearing blocks of unequal height for the viaduct and road-crossing viaduct spans. The road is not closed yet.
 

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gallafent

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Bletchley viaduct: in the most obvious change for several weeks, Pier 30 near the Buckingham road now has its cap and bearing blocks, and Pier 29 now has its height extension and bearing blocks of unequal height for the viaduct and road-crossing viaduct spans. The road is not closed yet.
Per the page containing linked above in post #79, https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/huge-leap-over-west-coast-main-line-for-east-west-rail :

Road closures start next week on Monday 14 June for the next section of the flyover rebuilding work.

Buckingham Road will be shut until 19 July for construction to take place.
 

Trainee9

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At the Bletchley viaduct, concrete beams are now being craned into position to span between piers 30 and 31 near the Buckingham Road roundabout.
Sunday update: All but one of the beams are in position between peirs 30 & 31. Pier 28 now has a cast concrete buttress on one side (shown on planning drawing) as does pier 27.
Pics show Pier 29, Piers 30-31, Pier 28, Pier 28 other side.
Tuesday update; Several beams now in place spanning between piers 30-29. A giant heavy lift crane has appeared in the Duncombe St. compound.
 

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alexx

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Some photos taken this morning at the site of the new bridge at Charbridge Lane, Bicester. Progress being made, seemingly slowly but progress nonetheless. 7CB1E317-779C-43C2-BBD0-C4A77680D02B.jpegF4EFC270-AA8B-4AF2-8352-466C557E1C29.jpeg0A1BB25D-70FA-4634-84A8-9F8A7D5E41C4.jpeg
 

Trainee9

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At the Bletchley flyover, the first beam has been placed across the Buckingham Road.
Update 27th, 11.30am: The last two beams (side beams) were fitted overnight and by morning the giant crane had already gone.
 

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nmsq

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Is there any estimation on a completion date for this section yet?
 

swt_passenger

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Is there any estimation on a completion date for this section yet?
Service “by 2025“ for Oxford to Bletchley/Milton Keynes.
the Oxford to Bedford “connection stage” (phase) comes later, no date shown.
 

snowball

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I would think it's plausible that Oxford-Bletchley will be ready well before 2025.
 

swt_passenger

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I would think it's plausible that Oxford-Bedford will be ready well before 2025.
Yes it does seem a fairly unambitious target, looking at construction progress on main civils so far. Can’t be that long before Winslow station build starts.
 

richieb1971

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What would happen if infrastructure is ready long before trains are made available? Or the date possible for opening long precedes the planned opening?
 

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