Medway Viaducts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 51°22′33″N 0°28′32″E / 51.3758°N 0.4755°E |
| Carries | Original:4 lanes of M2 plus hard shoulder & Bridleway New: 4 lanes of M2 plus hard shoulder Rail: 2 tracks of High Speed 1 |
| Crosses | River Medway |
| Locale | Cuxton, England |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cantilever |
| Total length | Original: 997.3 metres (3,272 ft) New: Rail: 1,300 metres (4,265 ft) |
| Width | Original: 34.44 metres (113 ft) New: Rail: |
| Longest span | Original: 152.4 metres (500 ft) New: Rail:152.4 metres (500 ft) |
| Clearance below | Original: 35.5 metres (116 ft) at maximum New: Rail: |
| History | |
| Opened | Original: 29 May 1963 New: 2003 Rail: September 2003 |
| Location | |
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The Medway Viaducts are three bridges or viaducts that cross the River Medway between Cuxton and Borstal in north Kent, England. The two road bridges carry the M2 motorway carriageways. The other viaduct carries the High Speed 1 railway line linking London and the Channel Tunnel. All three bridges pass over the Medway Valley Line (to Paddock Wood).
The first Medway Viaduct, built to carry the M2 motorway, opened on 29 May 1963. It remained the only overcrossing of the river on this site until the 2000s, at which point two further bridges were constructed. The second Medway Viaduct was part of the M2 widening scheme, its opening in 2003 enabled the first bridge to be reconfigured to carry coast-bound road traffic only, while the new structure carried the London-bound traffic instead. Other remedial works to the older first bridge were also carried out around this time, including the replacement of its original concrete central span with a steel-braced equivalent.
The third Medway Viaduct was completed in 2002, enabling the High Speed 1 railway line to traverse the river. Its design was somewhat unusual, using V-shaped reinforced concrete piers to support its bridge deck, which was prefabricated in segments and launched into position using hydraulic rams from the abutments; this deck is a cantilever structure. During 2003, a new British rail speed record was achieved by a specially formed Eurostar train crossed the viaduct at 208 mph (335 km/h). It has also won awards for its novel civil engineering practices.