Feedback from HS2 Meet and Greet on 11th March 2026

EKFB is a joint venture between Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction, and BAM Nuttall that is currently delivering the main civil engineering works for the central section of the HS2 high-speed rail project in the UK, including the stretch known as T2G between Twywell in Buckinghamshire and Greatworth in Northamptonshire.

Seven EKFB staff were on hand, including the Head of Engagement covering EKFB’s 80km stretch and the local Community Engagement Manager for T2G.

Only fifteen Helmdon residents attended, but the question everyone was asking was whether the Radstone Road will reopen in mid-April.   The answer from EKFB representatives was yes, probably.

The Project Manager for the Radstone Road overbridge, who was responsible for the decision to keep the road closed at Christmas, explained that the remedial works following the failed safety inspection in December 2025 will be completed on time but that the bridge and road will then have to undergo a new inspection, and the timing and outcome of that is out of EKFB’s hands.  As things stand, the road is on schedule to reopen in mid-April 2026.

The Project Manager also explained the reasons for the failed inspection in December 2026.  Essentially, the fixings between the Vehicle Restraint System (crash barriers) and the bridge parapets were not perfectly aligned.  He explained that the constructions works will be guaranteed for one hundred and twenty years, so even a few millimetres out is deemed unacceptable.

The team also said that the A43 overbridge is likely to open in mid-July 2026.  Several weekend closures are necessary prior to opening, so these have been scheduled for just after the British Gand Prix, which is on 5 July 2026.

The Engagement Team assured visitors that they understood the impact of the construction works on local communities and they try to minimise it wherever possible.

A further drop-in event may be held in the evening to allow more people to attend.

For further information on HS2, please visit https://www.hs2.org.uk.

To sign up for the HS2 notices and alerts about works in our local area, please visit https://tinyurl.com/3yce4tx4.

Helmdon Parish Council’s HS2 Liaison Representative is Kirsty Buttle, who can be contacted at clerk@helmdonparishcouncil.gov.uk.   See https://helmdonparishcouncil.gov.uk/hs2 for updates from Kirsty.

15 March 2026