Overnight road closures as HS2 bridge is moved

The bridge will begin being moved on Friday with 12m slid into position each night until 24 August, experts said

Part of Birmingham's ring road will close overnight for 10 days so a huge bridge can be moved into place as part of the HS2 rail scheme.

The 112m (367ft) steel bridge weighs more than 1,600 tonnes and the section will form part of a one-mile stretch of five connected viaducts, to carry trains into Curzon Street Station, an HS2 spokesperson said.

A section of Lawley Middleway from Garrison Circus to Curzon Circus will shut between 22:00 and 06:00 BST from 15-24 August.

A signed diversion route will be in place, which the spokesperson said would avoid drivers having to enter the Birmingham Clean Air Zone.

The steel span of the bridge has been constructed on land next to Digbeth Canal over the past two years and will need two transporters to bring it to the site.

On Friday, it will be turned 90 degrees and then, over the coming days until 23 August, slowly moved into position across Lawley Middleway, the HS2 spokesperson added.

To keep disruption to drivers as low as possible, it will be moved overnight at a rate of about 12m (39ft) each night.