The Medway M2 Bridges...

The Medway M2 viaducts, March 2021...

Today I set out with the intention of walking into Wouldham via the Medway M2 Bridge. Even though the footpath at the top of Sundridge hill is rather grim, there are still some wild flowers around...

Teasels. Sundridge Hill...

Marjoram, Sundridge Hill...

On 30 July 2003, a special Eurostar test train crossed the new Medway high-speed viaduct at 208 mph (335 km/h), establishing a new speed record on the British railway network. In advance of the tenth anniversary of this record-breaking run, a plaque was placed at a nearby vantage point overlooking the railway viaduct...

Plaque to commemorate the Eurostar rail link speed test...

I cannot understand what pleasure people get out of constantly vandalising this little monument. Sadly, this part of Sundridge Hill appears to be where the local waifs gather, to drink and to take the drugs that they hope will provide temporary oblivion from the pointlessness of their unloved existence. The litter and graffiti is a sad testament to their empty, nihilistic, hopeless and lonely lives.

Curiously, National Highways have recently seen fit to authorise work to raise the height of the pedestrian barriers on the bridge footpath. As a result, it is now closed until December 2023, and a shuttle bus service over to Borstal is in place. It runs from the Cuxton side on the hour at every half hour.

In terms of the litter and graffiti in the area, the local council do their best to clean things up but it is a Sisyphean task. Perhaps cutting down the scrub that has grown up on the bank behind the plinth and which now obscures the original view of the bridge, would open the area up a bit more and make it less amenable to those who hang around there... 

 

The Medway bridges viewed from the A228 overpass...

We take these crossings for granted, but they really are very recent things. The three bridges that cross the Medway between Cuxton and Borstal are properly called the “Medway Viaducts”. On the Cuxton side, they pass over the Medway Valley railway line to Paddock Wood.

View from Church Hill, 1961 - bridge construction underway (photo by Derek Church)...

The first Medway Viaduct was opened on 29th May 1963 by Ernest Marples (then the Minister of Transport) and formed a key element of the new M2 motorway...

Transport Minister Ernest Marples opening the M2 bridge - in happier times for him...

Built at a cost of £2.5 million, invitations to tender for the bridge's construction were sought in 1959. The bridge consisted of three main spans, the largest over the River Medway spanning 150m, with another two of 95m each. There are seventeen smaller spans of 30m to 40m.

Construction views, late 1962 (photos by Derek Church)...

As originally built, the first bridge comprised of six lanes (two London-bound, two coast-bound and two hard shoulders). In addition, a footpath was present along either side of the road lanes, which doubled as a small service road for maintenance personnel and pedestrians alike. These footpaths formed part of the North Downs Way, offering panoramic views of the Medway Valley and beyond.

View south from the M2 bridge footpath, 1972. This view was lost when the footpath on the southern side was removed to make room for the second M2 viaduct...

Prior to its opening, the only options for crossing the Medway were the historic bridges at either Rochester or Aylesford – or, for pedestrians, the Halling ferry. The M2 bridge remained the only crossing of the river on this site until the 2000s, when two further bridges were constructed.

View of the M2 bridge from Cuxton marina, 1972 (by Derek Church)...

View from the same place as above, 1914...

The second Medway Viaduct was built as part of the M2 widening scheme. Completed in 2003, this second span was used for a few months while the original bridge was converted for coastbound traffic. When that was done, the new span was put into its intended use in early 2004 as the London-bound carriageway.

New M2 viaducts under construction, 2002 (picture by Martin Loader)...

Other remedial works to the older first bridge were also carried out around this time, including the replacement of its original concrete central span with a steel-braced equivalent and (unfortunately) the narrowing of the bridge by the removal of the pedestrian path on its south side, leading to the loss of the views south towards Cuxton and Halling.

The third Medway Viaduct was completed in 2002, enabling the High Speed 1 railway line to traverse the river. It opened for regular services on 28th September 2003.

The HS1 viaduct (left) and new M2 bridge (right)...

Its design was somewhat unusual, using "V" shaped reinforced concrete piers to support its cantilevered bridge deck, which was prefabricated in segments and launched into position using hydraulic rams from the abutments.

References:

M2 motorway opening booklet 1963 (link here).

Medway Viaducts (link here)