HS2 release designs of new Birmingham bridge named after Jude Bellingham

The viaduct will form part of the approach to Birmingham’s new Curzon Street Station, including a 25-metre-high truss which will create a new icon on the city’s skyline.

A unique light installation, designed by British artist Liz West, will introduce a dynamic colour palette to the apertures of the steel truss, framing views of the city. Titled Out of the Blue, the proposed artwork will establish the bridge as a stunning feature of the city’s landscape both during the day and at night, when the artwork will come to life.

A spokesman for HS2 said: "The Curzon 2 bridge was nicknamed “The Bellingham Bridge” by the HS2 team in honour of England superstar Jude Bellingham’s performances at the World Cup 2022, is the tallest structure in the sequence of viaducts and structures that make up the Curzon Street Approaches. These Approaches take HS2 into Birmingham’s new city centre station.

"The bridge consists of a gently curved truss in weathering steel which carries HS2 over the Victorian brick rail viaduct below."

The spokesman added: "A truss bridge is light but strong, composed of connected elements that form triangular units, and is economic to build because it’s constructed using a relatively small amount of material. This makes the truss form ideal to assemble offline and then launch from one end and in one piece across the existing railway viaduct below. A truss is the most efficient structural form for a “launching” process, and this is likely to be one of the largest bridge launches ever carried out in the UK.

"The gently curved truss is 150-metres long and 25 metres tall. It will be assembled on the ground and then launched into its final position over the existing Victorian brick rail viaduct at around 17 metres above the ground, so the whole structure will be 40 metres high."

Acclaimed artist Liz West has worked across the UK and the world with organisations including the National Trust, Natural History Museum, London Design Festival and Natural England.

Using a variety of materials and exploring the use of light, she blurs the boundaries between sculpture, architecture, design and painting to create works that are both playful and immersive. Liz is based near Manchester with close family ties to Birmingham and knows the city and the West Midlands area well.

The artwork will ‘paint’ the triangular structures within the new Curzon 2 viaduct with a mixing of multiple linear coloured light. The blending and merging of the light will create dynamic colour-ways and frame the sky beyond and create new vantage points of the city.

HS2 phase one between Birmingham and London is due to open between 2029 and 2033. Jude Bellingham is already a global football star despite only 19-years-old after stellar performances for his German club Borussia Dortmund and the England national team.