M6 slip road at Birmingham to close for HS2 viaduct operation
The first section of a viaduct which will eventually carry the HS2 railway over the M6 is being moved into place this weekend.The southbound exit slip road at junction 4 near Birmingham Airport will be closed between 05:00 BST on Saturday to 22:00 BST on Sunday, although HS2 said traffic on the main motorway carriageway would not be affected.Once the 119m (390ft) structure is in place, work will begin on building the next section, which will be moved into place at a later date.HS2 Ltd's Senior project manager Liam Kenny said it was "a big moment" in the construction of the railway.
A series of winches will slide the viaduct over the slip road using non-stick pads - made of a material similar to a household frying pan - at a speed of 6-8m (20-26ft) an hour."Once the first launch is complete, we'll move on to assembling the next section of the viaduct," Mr Kenny said."This will be attached to the back of the viaduct before the second phase launch is ready to commence, this time across the motorway."He said he expected the next section of the viaduct to be moved into place in the autumn.
The viaduct - known as the East Deck, and which will carry two tracks to London - is one of two which are being constructed next to the motorway.When complete, they will each be 320m (1,050ft) long.Mr Kenny said work on the West Deck, which would carry another two northbound tracks, would begin next year."I'd like to thank drivers for their patience during these vital works, and thank our staff involved in this incredibly complex operation," he added."Of course, if we get the work done quicker than expected, we'll open the slip road early."
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
I tried supermarket Aperol dupes – my £7 winner tastes exactly the same and makes the perfect summer cocktail
IF there's one drink that embodies summer, it's the Aperol Spritz. And with temperatures set to soar in the UK, now is the time to pour yourself a tangy, crisp and refreshing, tangerine-tinted aperitif. 8 A bottle of the original tipple will now set you back around £18 depending on where you shop. So, of course, the high-price tag has prompted some supermarkets to introduce their own, cheaper versions. But are they going to hit the spot on a sunny day? Aperol Aperitivo Italian Spritz (70cl) £17.65, ABV: 11 per cent At nearly £18, this market-leading aperitif is the priciest on my list but if you stick to the recommended measurements you will get 20 servings out of it, so I still didn't think it was too bad in terms of value for money. It has that distinctive luminous orange colour and I very much enjoyed my tipple. It has a more natural and herbaceous taste than some of the ' dupes ', which I enjoyed. Worth mentioning also that it's fairly low on booze with an ABV of 11 per cent. Fragrant and moreish - but surprisingly, it wasn't my favourite. Taste: 5/5 Value: 3/5 Overall score: 8/10 Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Orange Spritz Aperitif (75cl) 8 ABV: 8 per cent £6.50, Light and easy to drink, I found this refreshing and very easy to knock back on a summer 's day. I tested all the supermarket Aperol knock-offs and the best was a THIRD of the price of real thing It was much fizzier than the big brand and whilst I enjoyed the taste, it did have a slightly bitter aftertaste. It's not as boozy as the original but it's over £11 cheaper so a very wallet-friendly tipple AND a bigger bottle." Lidl Bitterol (70cl) £6.99, ABV: 11 per cent An almost exact copy of the original Aperol. It has the same glowing, blood-orange huge and a same 11ABV. Made up into the classic Spritz cocktail, the taste really hits the spot, with the familiar rhubarb, fruity and woody notes that sit somewhere between sweet and sharp in the glass. Served over ice with prosecco and soda, it's really hard to tell the difference between this and the original - except at the till where it's less than half the price. Definitely worth stocking up for summer. Taste: 5/5 Value: 5/5 Overall score: 10/10 Aldi Aperini Aperitivo Spritz (75cl) £4.29, ABV: 6.9 per cent One sip of this and I very nearly thought I was drinking the real deal. It's not as boozy with a low 6.9 ABV and the orange colour is much lighter. It was quite sugary and the texture was a little more syrupy than the others. But it had the full and vibrant taste of the branded drink. Loved the bursts of citrus and rhubarb. It's only a little over £4 - amazing value. Taste: 4/5 Value: 5/5 Overall score: 9/10 Casa Savoia Americano Rosso (50cl) £22.25, ABV: 18.6 per cent It's more expensive than the original but this comes in a super pretty bottle and would make a lovely gift. It's mixed so you only need to add the prosecco and ice to make your aperitif. It can also be used to make negronis if you prefer. The bitter sweet flavours are perfectly balanced with notes of bitter orange, cassia, cinnamon, rhubarb and a whole host of other botanicals. Really enjoyed this and nice that it's so versatile. It's not a big bottle and I definitely would have liked more of it. Taste: 5/5 Value: 3/5 Overall score: 8/10 M&S Low Alcohol Aperitivo (50cl) £13, ABV: 0.5 per cent For a low alcohol alternative, I really enjoyed this. It had subtle flavours of juniper, pink pepper, coriander, cinnamon and lavender. The flavours were quite smoky and it wasn't overly sweet like many of the low alcohol drinks on offer. Refreshing, with a hint of vanilla. Loved this with soda or low-alcohol Prosecco. Taste: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Overall score: 6/10 Tesco Spritzi Aperitivo Blood Orange (75cl) £5, ABV: 8.4 per cent A zesty white wine-based drink which is pre-mixed so you don't have the faff of mixing it up on your own. It's quite aromatic with floral notes but more subtle in flavour than the Aperol. It was missing a bit of juiciness and a bit of punch and I thought it tasted artificially sweet. A good price at Tesco though and a decent helping of booze. Taste: 3/5 Value: 4/5 Overall score: 7/10 How to bag a bargain SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain… Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with. Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks. Sales are when you can pick up a real steal. Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on. Sign up to mailing lists and you'll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too. When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use and are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer. Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping. Bargain hunters can also use B&M's scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out. And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you'll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
The Guardian
29 minutes ago
- The Guardian
UK mortgage guarantee scheme due to end with no news on replacement
A government scheme to encourage UK lenders to offer 95% mortgages is scheduled to end this month, with no word yet on when its replacement will be launched. The mortgage guarantee scheme went live in April 2021 to help buyers with small deposits get on the property ladder. It allows banks to buy a guarantee from the government on the slice of the mortgage between 80% and 95% of the property's value. If a borrower gets into financial difficulty and their property is repossessed, the government will cover that portion of the lender's losses. Not every lender offering 95% mortgages has used the scheme. However, between launch and the end of December 2024, more than 53,000 mortgages were completed using it, of which 86% were first-time-buyer purchases. The government said in February it would be launching 'a new, permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme' that would 'open the door to home ownership for more young families and hard-working renters'. But at the time of writing no detailed information had been announced. The existing scheme is open to new home loans only until 30 June. Ministers had said that by making the mortgage guarantee scheme permanent and comprehensive, 'banks and building societies will have long-term confidence to continue offering low-deposit mortgages'. Data issued last week showed the total value of the guarantees provided by the scheme was £1.6bn, while the overall value of the mortgages supported by it was £10.7bn. The mean value of a property bought or remortgaged via the scheme was £211,000.
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
Will Gemini Trains leave the station any time soon?
Q Do you think the new Gemini services from London to Paris will actually happen? Rebecca H A Gemini Trains is one of several contenders aiming to compete with Eurostar, the incumbent operator from London St Pancras International to Paris, Brussels and the Netherlands. Eurostar has had the lucrative cross-Channel passenger train market to itself since the Channel Tunnel opened in 1994. The start-up plans to purchase 10 new trains for the service and promises 'competitive fares on comfortable, high-quality and frequent train services between the UK and continental Europe'. If it is permitted to launch trains through the Channel Tunnel, services will not start from the terminal at St Pancras – but six miles down the track at Stratford International. Stratford is served by the Elizabeth Line from central London, Heathrow airport and Reading. Two Underground lines – the Central and Jubilee – provide other connections, as does the London Overground, Greater Anglia and the Docklands Light Railway. Regrettably, it is a 10-minute walk from Stratford's main station to the International station, but perhaps some kind of shuttle will be provided. Gemini Trains will also call at Ebbsfleet, the north Kent station mothballed by Eurostar since Covid and Brexit. Gemini's chances of success improved sharply when the transport tech giant Uber said it would go into partnership. Services from Stratford to Paris Nord and Brussels Midi could begin by 2030 – which might look an age away, but in international rail terms is relatively swift. One big concern is stabling for the trains; Temple Mills depot is close to full just with Eurostar trains. As well as Gemini Trains, Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Italy's state railway operator FS Italiane Group are hoping to start services from London to Paris. I expect at least one of them to launch – hopefully, all three will do so. The High Speed 1 line and the Channel Tunnel are both running at about half their capacity, and the traveller deserves better. Q You have been writing about fare dodging and the complexity of rail fares. Perhaps a small number of exceptionally quiet off-peak services could be free? That would allow legitimate travel for those who can't afford to travel at convenient times. Peter C A Your idea is well worth an airing. Fresh thinking about public transport is much needed. As a frequent rail passenger across the UK, I always feel despondent when boarding (for example) an early afternoon midweek train and find I am virtually the only passenger in a carriage built for 70 or 80: what a waste of safe, swift capacity. Could it not be used to transport people who are currently not paying? This would provide much-needed mobility, and possibly tempt motorists to switch to the train. Well, I have modelled what might happen if, for example, the 1.18pm Greater Anglia service on a Wednesday from London Liverpool Street to Clacton in Essex was declared free. This is one of many such trains that are almost certain to be lightly loaded. It stops nine times along the way to the resort at the end of the line, including Chelmsford and Colchester. I predict that most passengers who would normally travel around lunchtime on trains to those cities would switch to the free option. In addition, people whose final destination is Ipswich or Norwich would take the opportunity to cut the cost of their journey. They would avail of the free train and pay only for the segment onwards from Colchester. They would change trains and wait for the next express to Suffolk and Norfolk, which would become extremely crowded with people who had the same plan. Moving motorists to trains is a noble ambition, but I must point out that Luxembourg introduced nationwide free travel five years ago, and traffic congestion is still terrible. Perhaps, though, I can finesse your concept by recommending a heavily discounted fare – perhaps £5 compared with a typical price of £20. That is pitched temptingly low for people who currently travel ticketless to conclude fare dodging is not worth the risk – but not quite so cheap that mayhem breaks out on Greater Anglia as existing passengers converge on a bargain train. The train operator will soon come under UK government control – a good moment to test the concept. Q I read your article about easyJet passengers spending 23 hours travelling from Palma to Liverpool. Two things intrigued me: is it normal for a person whose condition causes a diversion to be allowed back on the flight? And will the passengers be due any compensation? Jenny R A An easyJet plane from Mallorca to Merseyside was at 38,000 feet over southwest France shortly after midnight on Wednesday when crew were alerted to a male passenger experiencing a health issue. The pilots decided to divert, turned around and landed half an hour later at Bordeaux airport. Paramedics attended the aircraft. The passenger, who was able to walk off the aircraft, was taken to a local hospital for a check-up. While that was happening, the normal procedure would be for the plane to refuel and continue its journey. But no fuel was available due to the late hour, and the flight could not continue. As a result, everyone was offloaded. Passengers had to spend almost all of the next day in Bordeaux as a new crew was found for the flight. Happily, the gentleman who was unwell on the original flight was also on board after undergoing checks and being passed as fit to fly. So there was no reason for him not to fly home with everyone else (including the original crew, who travelled back as passengers). This is far from normal. In almost all other cases, one or both of the following happens: the medical condition is serious enough to warrant extended medical treatment, or the flight is able to continue once the passenger (and their baggage) have left the aircraft. It is clear that easyJet was dealt a difficult hand, with almost all hotels in the area full. Some passengers had to spend the night – and much of the following day – at the airport. Under air passengers' rights rules, no one is entitled to any cash compensation. Unlike 'delay repay' on the railways, the deciding factor for a payout is whether the airline was at fault. When the pilots divert due to concern for a passenger's health, that is classed as an 'exceptional circumstance' and easyJet is excused from paying compensation. Q We will be visiting our daughter in Australia this November and will spend some time in Adelaide en route. We would also like to visit Kangaroo Island. Is this doable on a day trip or would you recommend a stay on the island? Chris B A Kangaroo Island lies west of Cape Jervis in South Australia, which itself is about 100km (62 miles) southwest of the state capital, Adelaide. It is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Islands in the Northern Territory – and bigger than some sizeable English counties, such as Kent and Cornwall. Yet if you want simply to see some highlights, there are plenty of tours that will take you there for the day. They mostly involve the ferry from Cape Jervis – a 45-minute voyage to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. Three main island attractions are on the western half of the south coast: sea lions frolicking at Seal Bay Conservation Park; the weirdly sculpted Remarkable Rocks on the edge of the Southern Ocean; and the boardwalk descent towards another natural feature, Admirals Arch, at Kangaroo Island's version of Land's End. The other essential: Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, plumb in the middle of the island, where you can see the island's distinctive kangaroos – shorter, stockier and darker than the mainland marsupials. If time and money are not on your side, go for the Sealink one-day trip from Adelaide, costing $227 (£109). While it is a long day – 16 hours – you will get a sense of the island. Ideally, though, make it a longer adventure: three days with a rental car from Adelaide. This will allow you to pause and enjoy the scenery of the Fleurieu Peninsula along the way rather than racing through to Cape Jervis. More importantly, it will give you time to appreciate the island in more depth. In particular, you should sample at least a few hours of the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. The stretch of this trans-island path running east from the Southern Ocean Lodge is particularly rewarding for both coastal views and inland nature. If you plan to splash out at any time during your Australian trip, and have an industrial-strength credit card, consider staying there for two nights (the minimum stay) – for around £3,500.
