Medway Viaduct

Medway Viaduct
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

The Medway Viaducts are three bridges or viaducts that cross the River Medway near Rochester in north Kent, England. The two road bridges carry the M2 motorway carriageways. The other viaduct carries the High Speed 1 railway line.

Opened on 29 May 1963, by Ernest Marples, Minister of Transport, the Medway bridge formed a key piece of the M2 motorway. It originally had a six-lane (two London-bound, two coast-bound, two hard shoulder) formation. In addition, a footpath either side that doubled as a small service road for maintenance and pedestrians. These footpaths are part of the North Downs Way, offering panoramic views of the Medway Valley and beyond. During the M2 widening, the original bridge was refurbished and strengthened. The central span, which was made from concrete beams, was replaced with steel girders. The concrete beams were lowered down on to a river barge underneath. As part of the M2 widening, the original bridge had street lighting fitted to it for the first time.

Completed in 2003, as part of the M2 widening project, the second motorway bridge is the newest of the three that cross the River Medway at this point. The bridge was built south of the original bridge. The formation of the M2 motorway crossing was changed. The original bridge would be changed to three coast-bound lanes, a hard-shoulder and both footpaths were reduced in size. The south facing footpath was closed, leaving only one path for pedestrians. The newer of the two bridges had the same formation, but changed to London-bound lanes.

In 2003, the bridge won the Concrete Society’s Civil Engineering Category award for, "outstanding merit in the use of concrete". It was presented to Doka UK Formwork Technologies. A plaque can be seen on one of the upright support legs, on the Strood side.

The western bridge carries High Speed 1 (HS1), the high-speed rail link that connects London with the Channel Tunnel.

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