At Water Orton a pair of single-track viaducts carry HS2 over existing road and rail infrastructure, as well as over the HS2 mainline below. Complementary landscape proposals provide a positive lasting legacy for HS2. A subterranean river and new green public spaces, including a community orchard, create a unique public amenity for the local community.

Match-cast segmental deck is paired with tall, in-situ, reinforced concrete piers to meet the technical challenges, cost and programme ambitions. The design needed to respond to various constraints, including straddling the HS2 main line. This unique challenge was overcome through a series of bespoke straddle bents which incorporate weathering steel beams that act as portals, allowing the HS2 mainline to pass directly under the viaducts.

The viaducts are designed as the most narrow and slender structures possible, with large 45-metre spans reducing the number of piers. This minimised the locations where the structure touches the ground, improved the sustainability performance of the viaducts, and created opportunities for new green spaces and community amenities, increasing biodiversity through the creation of new wildlife habitats.