MPB Structures awarded contract for Midland Metro Phase 2
Concrete frame specialist MPB Structures has been appointed to deliver a £37m civil engineering package on Phase 2 of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension, part of the expansion of the West Midlands Metro network.
image: Midlands Metro Alliance cgi
The contract has been awarded by the Midland Metro Alliance, the collaborative delivery body responsible for extending the light rail system on behalf of Transport for West Midlands and the West Midlands Combined Authority. Partners in the alliance include a consortium of design specialists from Egis, Tony Gee and Pell Frischmann, and rail construction lead Colas Rail.
Under the terms of the contract, MPB Structures will be responsible for the full civil engineering scope of the second phase of the extension, which covers more than 600m of new infrastructure along the route from Dudley towards Merry Hill. The works will include groundworks, installation of piled foundations, structural concrete placement and steelwork to support key tramway infrastructure, including a 225m multi span viaduct and reinforced concrete slabs on existing embankments.
The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension is part of a broader project to expand the Midland Metro light rail system by approximately 11km, connecting communities from Wednesbury through Dudley to the Brierley Hill Waterfront.
Phase 1 of the extension, which included construction through Sandwell to Dudley town centre, was completed earlier in the programme, and Phase 2 represents the continuation of that route towards Brierley Hill.
The wider Metro expansion forms part of an ambitious regional transport strategy that also includes other light rail extensions and multimodal infrastructure improvements such as the new Dudley Interchange, which is expected to open in 2026.
MPB Structures previously worked on the Delta Junction element of Phase 1 and said that securing the Phase 2 package reinforces its growing role within the Midland Metro programme.