30.10.18
HS2 begins consultation for contractors to build £3.5bn western leg of Phase Two
HS2 has started contractor consultations for Phase 2a to build the high-speed railway between the West Midlands and Crewe.
The largely rural route forms the first part of the western leg of HS2 Phase Two and is expected to cost £3.5bn in total to deliver.
Contractors will be required to help construct the 58km route passing through farmland and residential areas in local authority districts including Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Cheshire.
Phase 2a interfaces with Phase One in the West Midlands and with the existing West Coast Mainline, south of Crewe.
The project will involve building 61 bridges, 19 million cubic meters of embankments, 8km of viaducts and the boring of a 2.1km long tunnel.
HS2 has encouraged both Tier 1 and Tier 2 contractors to express an interest on its HS2 market engagement site.
Design work for Phase 2a is expected to start next year, and construction is scheduled to start in 2021.
Cheshire East Council launched a public consultation into its draft ‘Masterplan Vision’ for HS2 in Crewe back in November last year.
The document outlines the economic benefits that an enhanced HS2 hub rail station in Crewe could have on the area, such as 40,000 new jobs over the next 30 years as well as enhancing economic growth in the surrounding towns.
The government confirmed the Crewe HS2 hub in March this year, and Rachel Bailey, leader of Cheshire East Council, called the arrival of HS2 “a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Last week, the largest archaeology project ever undertaken in the UK began, with over 1,000 archaeologists aiming to explore 10,000 years of British history along the 150-mile HS2 route.
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Image/video from HS2