Embankment work in progress photos

Managed to visit Wilbury Way this morning and take a few pictures of the embankment construction as it was happening.  I must say it is a very slick operation.  I counted six dumper truckers working and in the short time I was there there was always one full and one empty truck on the haul road from the quarry with another being filled.  I could see one bulldozer and one roller working but I guess there must have been others.

 First picture shows a loaded dumper arriving with the roller and bulldozer waiting in the foreground

 Here an empty truck returns to the quarry while a full one makes its way down to the site.  Another empty one can just be seen moving into position to be loaded by the excavator.

 A loaded truck moves around the corner out of sight to another part of the site.  The purple strip in the background is a lavender field for which Hitchin is well known for.  There is a tea room and you can pick your own lavender.  It is at Cadwell Farm, Ickleford for anyone interested.

 This is another shot of the area where the existing and new embankments converge.  The difference in height from the same shot on the 5th August is quite dramatic considering it was only five days ago..

 I took the opportunity to take a couple of pictures from the redundant part of the sewage treatment works in Bury Mead Road while I had the camera with me.   Centre left is the access road that has been built up from the entrance of the scrapyard in Cadwell Lane.  The two orange clad workers are standing on the former Bedford branch embankment which ran alongside the mainline at this point.  This has been cleared in readiness for the height to be increased to match the mainline.  The extreme left of the picture is where the viaduct starts.

A longer shot of the same area with more workers visible to the right.  There is also some plant hidden by the trees.  A more secure fence has been installed along the main line to protect the workers.  This doesn't stop trains sounding their horns all day long as they pass!   Somewhere to the right will be the new junction where the Cambridge bound trains will leave the main line to move onto the new alignment.

Photos of embankment construction.

Quick visit to Hillgate to take pictures of the embankment work that I wasn't able to do yesterday.

 First shows the steadily growing embankment.  The existing Cambridge branch is behind.  The farmer's accommodation bridge gives a good indication of the final height of the embankment.

 Slightly further west some chalk has been laid but not to any great height.  Quarry is behind.

Plant lined up in the main compound.

Update 4th August

Finally made the time to visit the site this afternoon.  In the two or so weeks since I was last there the progress has been quite dramatic.  Quite a number of viaduct supports on the west side had either been started or poured leaving only two or three left to finish that part of the project.  It was the same on the east side.  I wasn't able to fully check on what progress had been made on that side because there were a number of people using the car park in Hillgate as an impromptu race track.  I didn't want to hang around while that was going on!   However I could see that more chalk had been transferred from the quarry on Wilbury Hill and the wing walls had been added to the farmer's accommodation bridge.  I noticed earlier in the week that work on the former Bedford branch along side the main line had started.  This is to raise the level to that of the main line and gradually increase it as it passes over the River Hiz bridge to bring it up to the level of the viaduct.

No further sections of viaduct had been installed but side deckings hve been added all the way along.

The last viaduct support on the triangle of  land formed where the main line and Bedford branch parted.  The much taller supports can be seen stretching away on the lower ground.  I counted seven either poured or being prepared where there was only one last time.  Then there is a gap before the first three which are under construction.

Same supports from a slightly different angle looking south towards the scrapyard.

 Moving south a shot back the other way.

Then I attempted to move closer to the scrapyard but the Bury Mead Springs area was more overgrown than ever.  I couldn't reach my usual vantage point by the two dead trees.  You can make out the two viaduct supports number two and three next to the scrapyard.  Better picture from the other side later in the blog.  I will have to take equipment to cut down the nettles etc if I want to get any closer.

 Viaduct support pier number one under construction next to the removed Bedford line bridge.

Turning 180 degrees, numbers two and three.  These are nothing like as tall as the ones further on as they begin to rise significantly to pass over the main line.  Interestingly number two has a raised concrete pad at the base unlike any others.  You can just make out what looks like a bitumen coating to the right.  I suspect this is because the existing embankment will be reprofiled to a shallower angle.  The Bedford embankment was completely removed here to enable the construction of this pier.

 Behind pier one access onto the former Bedford embankment has been created and new security fencing installed along the edge of the main line.

 I think this will be the final viaduct support on the east side before the embankment starts. 

Finally a shot of the ever growing quarry on Wilbury Hill.

And from the west

Quick visit the the west side of the main line.  Got a better shot of the new section of viaduct which makes four in total.  Starting to look really impressive now.  The viaduct support next to the end of the triangle of higher ground has been started.  This will be a lot bigger than the others as will the remaining ones up to the new junction with the main line.

Long shot of the viaduct

Looking across the main line, the new section with more supports waiting.

An East Coast service passes under the new viaduct.

Last two viaduct supports on the higher ground are nearing completion. This is the second one in.

 And the last one.  Behind is the first one on the lower ground.

 Here is a closer shot.  As I said at the beginning, these supports are going to be quite a bit taller.

 Finally a quick shot looking back to the existing end of the viaduct.  Apologies for a lack of an update.  Uploading problems with Blogger, a week's holiday and a family matter have made this difficult.  The latter will I am afraid will impact on my abilty to visit the site over the next few weeks but I will do my best.

News from the east

.......from the east side of the main line that is!  Work to remove chalk from Wilbury Hill has continued and the embankment construction has stepped up a gear.  It appears that a membrane with a level of gravel has been laid over the entire length.  Chalk has been tipped over a larger area although not to any great height yet.  The impact on the hill is quite noticeable though as the first photo shows.  The row of viaduct support piers has extended almost to the edge of the redundant sewage treatment works and another section of viaduct has been lifted into place on this side of the main line.

Chalk removal continues. 

End of future embankment just before the former sewage treatment works.  Membrane and gravel in place.

Line of viaduct supports in the former sewage treatment works.

 And further on meeting up with the new section of viaduct.

 Middle section of the future embankment with chalk laid down. Top right is the farm bridge and top centre is the first section of chalk but with no apparent change from two weeks ago.

Farmer's accommodation underbridge with just the wing walls to be added.  This gives us a good indication of the height of the embankment.

Network Rail timelapse video of viaduct lift

This is the Network Rail timelapse video of the viaduct being lifted into place on 1st July

Viaduct over East Coast Main Line in place

As I suspected, the section of viaduct over the main line was lifted in to place during the night.  I went down at 7am and it was all over by then. There were just a few Network Rail engineers checking the overheads.  You have to take your hat off to Hochtief for the efficient way it was done.  It looks like it fitted perfectly and now appears like it was always there!

 View from Icknield Way footbridge

 Close-up from same location

 Side view from the west

You can see the curve from this angle.

I then took the opportunity to take the footpath that follows the Cambridge line as far as the future junction with the new line.   It was incredibly overgrown because it is not a through path at the moment.  Presumably it will be diverted to pass under the new line via the farmer's accommodation bridge, shown under construction in the next picture.

 A wonderful field of poppies has sprung up in the uncultivated field.  At the public consulation meeting, there was talk that passive provision for a new access road from Stotfold Road to the industrial area might be included.  However judging from the size of this bridge that's not going to happen.

 Embankment construction has started at the point where the two lines will meet.

 A better view of the chalk removal.  A new cliff can be seen developing in the centre

And finally, turning round from the same spot for reference purposes, in the distance a shot of the crane used to lift in the viaduct.