I am currently based in the LMJV office in the centre of Birmingham but will be relocating to the Birmingham Interchange area when the compound is set up. It's a fantastic set up and will be nice to be out in the thick of the action again.
My current role is project manager for the delivery of the Birmingham Interchange Highways scope of works for High Speed Rail 2 (HS2). The scope of works for this project involves, amongst numerous other things, the construction of four new bridges at the site of the new Interchange Station for HS2. One of which is to be installed over the M42 and will weigh in at around 2500t. The new structures all interact with the road network in one of the busiest road network areas in the UK. The amount of planning required to shut the M42 for a weekend is proving to be quite a challenge.
My typical week involves a lot of meetings and communications with the client (HS2) and our subcontractors to ensure we are delivering the project to their expectations in respect of programme and budget. I also communicate the works to 3rd parties such as the NEC, Highways England and Birmingham Airport so they are kept up-to-date on the progress. On top of all the external discussions, I also liaise with the subcontractors on overall progress and performance and general contractual compliance.
No day is ever really the same. The scale of the HS2 project is really only understood when you get into the nooks and crannies of it and the vast amount of works that goes into the preparation of smaller works such as moving a Badger Sett for example is really eye opening, so I am learning something new on a weekly basis.
Ultimately, moving on to help deliver bigger more complex projects, but I don’t think that many will be bigger or more challenging than HS2!
Murphy is a multi-disciplinary specialist in the transportation sector, working across rail, highways, aviation and ports to deliver sustainable solutions. From renewals to electrification, bridge building, highways and aviation, our award-winning team has extensive experience.