M42 reopens after huge HS2 bridge installed

A section of the M42 that was partly closed to allow a HS2 railway bridge to moved into place has fully reopened.

It was shut for 10 days between junction nine for Sutton Coldfield and junction 10 for Tamworth and Nuneaton, but reopened on Sunday evening.

National Highways thanked drivers using the motorway over the festive period, who had been warned to plan ahead.

The 12,600-tonne Marston Box HS2 bridge, has been installed over the motorway.

It will connect to Dunton Wood Embankment to the south and the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal Viaduct to the north.

National Highways said the installation set a new world record for the longest slide of a box bridge

Frank Bird, senior network planner for National Highways, said it had been working with HS2 for the past 18 months to minimise disruption and the bridge installation was a "significant milestone" in the high-speed rail project.

"We'd like to say a big thank you to motorists for their patience during the closure of the M42," he said.

"It's never easy to close a busy motorway such as the M42 for an extended period but it has been vital to ensure the safety of the workforce and motorists while this work is taking place."