The Strategic Road Network is undergoing billions of pounds worth of necessary work, and National Highways is developing a number of measures to lessen the impact of this work.
This entails a rise in the use of faster speeds past construction zones when it is safe to do so, clearer messaging for drivers, more efficient detours, and clearing the roadside of debris.
As an alternative to months or even years of partial closures, National Highways will also take into account increasing the number of full closures of major A-roads and motorways in order to finish work on the network itself relatively quickly.
This may entail adding more buildings off-site before bringing them close to the road.
The strategy aims to minimise the effects of major projects on the 4,300-mile network on local communities and drivers while also saving taxpayer money.
Additionally, it is likely to reduce the risks to worker safety and lower carbon emissions from construction equipment.
It has already been used in a select few schemes. As part of the HS2 rail project, the M42 will be closed twice during consecutive Christmas seasons in 2021 and 2022 to allow for the construction of a new bridge over the busy road.
This is a better option than the 18 months of lane closures, speed restrictions, and narrow lanes along with more than 100 overnight closures.
Plans are also being developed to use innovative off-site construction techniques to complete significant improvements to the A47/A11 junction outside of Norwich over the course of one full nine-day closure and a select number of overnight closures.
This would replace the lane closures, contraflows, and 30 mph speed limits that have been in place for almost three years.
For National Highways, complete road closures will continue to be the exception rather than the rule, typically lasting no longer than two weeks.
This is done in recognition of the potential short-term effects that detour routes could have on nearby communities, businesses, and roads.
However, as part of the planning for upcoming schemes, project managers are being urged to take the approach into consideration.
To maximise the benefits of a closure, the company is also performing various maintenance tasks simultaneously on the same section of road.
A recent instance of this was on the M53 between two junctions where routine cyclical maintenance and reactive works were combined.
As a result, the workforce’s exposure to moving traffic was reduced by 5,000 hours overall, and there were 10 fewer occasions where cones and other forms of traffic management were needed to complete the works.
This information is being released as National Highways approaches the halfway point of the government’s second Road Investment Strategy (RIS), a five-year, £24 billion programme that comprises more than 50 significant network upgrades.
The probable rise in full closures is one of a number of initiatives intended to lessen the inconvenience caused by the daily roadwork that must be done on the network in order to increase dependability and safety.
Other actions consist of:
a further increase in the “Highest Safe Speed” approach to roadworks, which frequently involves speed limits of 60 mph past work sites from 50 mph previously.
This approach, which was first introduced two years ago, has already been adopted for most major schemes but will be expanded to smaller-scale projects in 2022–203 where it is deemed safe to do so after detailed assessments showed it resulted in journey time savings as well as greater compliance with the new limit.
A new strategy for diversion routes, with project teams receiving customer-focused toolkits and new signs scheduled for network testing.
Drivers will experience improved roadside communication, including more detailed information on electronic message boards that explain why drivers may not always see people working on the road.
New instructions to project teams to clean up work zones at roadside locations, including removing signage deemed unnecessary to enhance the neighbourhood and the driving experience.
Improved self-service reporting tools to make it simpler for drivers, passengers, local communities, and businesses to report network issues.
The information is provided in the updated National Highways delivery plan for 2022–2023, which was released today along with the company’s annual report.
Major Projects’ Director of Customer Service, Laura Baker, stated:
Our country’s busiest roads are used every day by millions of people travelling for work, play, and visits to friends and family.
To keep them as safe and dependable as possible, we must implement a comprehensive maintenance and improvement programme.
We already prioritise work hours when traffic is light, such as overnight and on weekends, in an effort to complete this project with the least amount of disruption as possible.
We are committed to looking into various options to further reduce the impact because extended roadwork can be distressing for both drivers and the surrounding community.
The majority of network maintenance currently takes place during numerous overnight or weekend road closures.
In addition, National Highways uses lane closures to carry out plans while keeping some lanes open.
In order to reduce overall levels of disturbance over time, National Highways may entirely close highways or A-roads as part of the adjustment.
Before implementing a complete shutdown, project managers will communicate with the surrounding community and weigh the viability of alternative routes as well as their effects on neighbouring homes, businesses, hospitals, and events.
The objective outlined by Project Speed, a government programme unveiled in summer 2020 to accelerate work on infrastructure projects and boost the economy in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, is supported by the use of complete road closures to finish key road schemes.
Logistics UK’s policy director, Kate Jennings, stated:
The UK economy depends heavily on logistics companies, who must transport goods quickly and efficiently to support business.
In order to provide their clients with the finest service possible, network outages are detrimental, hence Logistics UK is pleased with today’s announcement.
A better experience for both drivers and operators should be achieved by reducing the overall time spent working on the network to complete a scheme, supported by an improved method for diversions and roadside communications.
Director of UK line haul for DHL Express UK, Mark O’Doherty, stated:
We applaud National Highways for their plans to lessen the effects of construction on their network and enhance two-way communication with motorists.
We manage more than 150,000 time-definite movements on the strategic road network each year, assisting our clients in doing business in more than 220 nations and territories around the world.
When shipments need to connect with a departing aircraft, every minute counts, so having a trustworthy and effective strategic route network is essential.