HS2 completes civil engineering works on longest tunnel
23 Jan 2026The close of work on the tunnel's vent shafts brings an end to a project our Align JV began almost five years ago
Iconic structure forms part of the HS2 project being constructed by our Align JV
Our HS2 Align JV with Bouygues Travaux Publics and VolkerFitzpatrick picked up two prizes at the New Civil Engineer Bridges Awards - Bridge Project Team of the Year and Innovation in Carbon Reduction.
The judges named Align the Bridge Project Team of the Year as they felt the project showcased “an integrated and collaborative team culture within a highly complex scheme”.
They went on to say: “Align successfully implemented an innovative model on the HS2 C1 Package, fostering positive teamwork and delivering effective results… Their commitment to collaboration is clearly demonstrated through consistent branding across all sites, reinforcing their core values.”
The project proved its sustainability credentials in the Innovation in Carbon Reduction category, where Align was nominated alongside Littlewood Group for mitigating noise and carbon by innovative design and testing.
The judges thought that this was a commendable scheme that demonstrated a well-rounded application of established carbon tools and effective material choices to optimise design. The project delivered tangible sustainability benefits and was praised for its thorough, systematic approach to delivering a lower-carbon bridge solution.
In a further win for the project, Rendel also walked away with the Bridge Consultant of the Year for their work on the scheme.
The close of work on the tunnel's vent shafts brings an end to a project our Align JV began almost five years ago
The construction of the 10-mile tunnel by our Align JV finishes ahead of schedule
Our Align JV builds tunnel extensions for HS2 to stop sonic booms from 200mph trains entering the 10-mile Chiltern Tunnel.
Topping out ceremony marks pivotal moment for NESST, which is set to transform the region's space economy.
The extension opened on 1st April 1901 and contains a series of major viaducts, including the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct
The team gathered to celebrate a topping out ceremony following steels completion in late January