Holmethorpe underbridge - a race against time

The Christmas period 2004 was a busy time for the team working on the Holmethorpe Underbridge, near Redhill in Surrey. After 4 months of hectic preparation the portal structure was inserted into a railway embankment over a 101h possession period which started late on Christmas Eve 2004.
The complete 1700t structure, including the wing walls and foundations, was cast offline during the run up to Christmas, but this still left removal of the track and embankment, the moving of the underbridge into position, the backfilling and the reinstatement of the permanent way to be completed in the short time available.
The construction was undertaken by Hochtief (UK) Construction Ltd on behalf of Linden Homes, with the completed structure becoming a Network Rail asset. The design of the underbridge structure, in its permanent condition and during transportation, was done by Tony Gee and Partners from its Cobham office in Surrey.

Nigel R. Hewson, BSc, CEng, FIStructE, FICE
Tony Gee and Partners

Andrew W. Richards, BSc, DipArb, CEng, FICE, FCIArb, FIHT
Director – Rail & Marine, Hochtief (UK) Construction Ltd