Aerial view of a bridge construction over a green landscape with trees, fields, water bodies, and construction activity; architecture by MOXON Architects.

Westbury & Turweston Viaducts

South Northamptonshire, England

2017

Client HS2 Ltd

Infrastructure · Road & Rail

Set low in the landscape to the east of Brackley, Westbury Viaduct, along with the nearby Turweston Viaduct, cross the floodplain of the River Great Ouse, which passes under the new high-speed railway twice as it meanders through Buckinghamshire and West Northants.

A bridge with tall supporting columns spans above a lush green landscape with trees, under a soft sunrise or sunset, architecture by MOXON Architects.

A modern bridge with a green landscaped mound underneath, sunset lighting, and three people walking nearby; architecture by MOXON Architects.

A gravel pathway curves through a natural landscape with bare trees and bushes, under a modern bridge, architecture by MOXON Architects.

A modern elevated highway with tall support columns and minimalist design, set in a green landscape with trees and a cloudy sky, architecture by MOXON Architects.

A modern bridge over a grassy field and river, with a hill on the right, under a partly cloudy sky, architecture by MOXON Architects.

The viaduct deck was originally planned to be made from solid concrete beams, but after the early success of Wendover Dean the decision was taken to adopt the double composite approach across more viaducts, including Westbury.

The more efficient deck also allows longer spans and fewer piers needed to support the structure. These changes, alongside the use of lower-carbon concrete and steel, and changes to the foundations allowed the design team to cut the amount of embedded carbon in Westbury viaduct by 60% per cent.