M62 Managed Motorways Scheme wins the CIHT/ Lafarge Tarmac Health and Safety at work award
M62 Managed Motorways 'Eliminating the Need for Workers to Undertake Live Carriageway Crossings'
The M62 Junction 25-30 managed motorway project is paving the way for better road worker safety by becoming the first major project to deliver zero carriageway crossings as part of the Highway Agency’s ‘Aiming for Zero’ strategy.
This two year scheme to transform a section of the M62, which suffers from heavy congestion into a managed motorway, would normally require road workers to cross the live carriageways around 70,000 times in order to maintain, erect and dismantle temporary traffic signs over 65km of motorway and adjoining M1, M621 and M606.
Under a new five point plan pioneered by joint venture contractors BAMNuttall and Morgan Sindall (bmJV) and supply chain partners Chevron Traffic Management and Morelock Signs, the traffic management team set out to eliminate live carriageway crossings. Following initial research, sign manufacture Morelock was asked to design and produce products which could deliver bmJV’s central reservation signing strategy. Throughout the process Morelock worked collaboratively with Britpave ‘Fixing Centre’ (to develop a robust sign fixing solution) and Powergraphics (to achieve the outcome specified mechanics of the remote controlled signs).
The five point plan includes use of the following strategies:
- Mobile lane closures for deployment of remote controlled signs
- Specially designed remote controlled signs for lane closures and remotely changing existing static signs during lane closures
- Central sign fixings to permanent concrete barrier to mitigate reactive carriageway crossings during high winds
- Permanent sign poles deployed in the central reservation
- Straight lane one and two lane closures
From September 2011 to March 2013 on the M62 these zero carriageway crossing procedures have eliminated the need for over 45,000 crossings of the live carriageways carrying motorway traffic.
Judges’ comments: “This scheme has made use of a five point plan to eliminate the need for road workers to undertake live carriageway crossings. It has achieved the delivery of zero crossings on a very heavily congested section of 65km of motorway. This has been reached through strong co-operation and integration by the joint venture contractor and supply chain partners working together focused on their goal. From this a blueprint has been created which will enable all future major highway schemes to achieve the Highways Agency’s ‘Aiming for Zero’ objectives.”
Dave Todd M62 Traffic Management Manager commented “The CIHT judging panel said it all really, what made the 5 point plan so successful is the strong co-operation and integration , collaboration between BAM Morgan Sindall and supply chain partners, Chevron TM and Morelock signs focusing on the goals to deliver customer objectives in Aiming for Zero.”
