AFTER being closed for two months of repairs following the discovery of a crumbling abutment, Nuneham Viaduct – and thus the main line between Oxford and Didcot – reopened on June 9, writes Chris Milner.
The 160-year-old abutment supporting a twin bowstring bridge over the RiverThames had been sinking, and on April 3 the decision was made that the line had become unsafe for rail traffic.
In the intervening 10 weeks, a programme of emergency repairs began with contractor Balfour Beatty taking a major role in the challenging repair.
The work began by driving 24 15-metre steel piles into the bed of the River Thames to create a solid platform for the temporary structure that would hold the weight of the viaduct while the abutment was demolished and rebuilt. Eight more piles were driven up to 20m into the embankment to support the new structure.