A unique light installation, designed by British artist Liz West, will introduce a dynamic colour palette to the apertures of the steel truss, framing views of the city. Titled Out of the Blue, the proposed artwork will establish the bridge as a stunning feature of the city’s landscape both during the day and at night, when the artwork will come to life.
The Curzon 2 bridge, which has been nicknamed 'The Bellingham Bridge' by the team in honour of England superstar and Stourbridge-born Jude Bellingham's performances at the World Cup, is the tallest structure in the sequence of viaducts and structures that make up the Curzon Street Approaches. These Approaches take HS2 into Birmingham’s new city centre station. The bridge consists of a gently curved truss in weathering steel which carries HS2 over the Victorian brick rail viaduct below.
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A truss bridge is light but strong, composed of connected elements that form triangular units, and is economic to build because it’s constructed using a relatively small amount of material. This makes the truss form ideal to assemble offline and then launch from one end and in one piece across the existing railway viaduct below. The team believe this construction method will be among the longest bridge launches ever delivered in the UK.
HS2 Ltd's Design Director, Kay Hughes said: "Our design ambition for the Curzon 2 bridge is to create an elegant, iconic structure, fitting of its prominence on the Birmingham skyline, creating a legacy for HS2 and contributing positively to the city's identity day and night.
"The curved truss design celebrates Birmingham’s industrial heritage, and we’re pleased that we've been able to engage a prominent artist to work with our architects to create a distinctive lighting installation, which will be a striking addition to Birmingham's city skyline."
The gently curved truss is 150-metres long and 25 metres tall. It will be assembled on the ground and then launched into its final position over the existing Victorian brick rail viaduct at around 17 metres above the ground, so the whole structure will be 40 metres high. A truss is the most efficient structural form for a launching process, and this is likely to be one of the largest bridge launches ever carried out in the UK.
HS2 trains will cross the truss bridge to leave the city towards HS2’s Washwood Heath Depot. The site, located northeast of Birmingham City Centre, will maintain, service, and store HS2 trains when not in use, generating over 500 long-term jobs for local people.
