Major incident declared in Somerset in response to heavy rain and flooding
A major incident has been called in Somerset as agencies step up their response to Storm Chandra. Somerset Council, the Environment Agency and emergency services are working together to support communities following heavy rain and extensive flooding overnight. Although the weather looks drier tomorrow, the risk of flooding on the Levels and Moors remains high […]
From chaos to coordination: Malta’s roadworks reset on this week’s Highways Voices
Today on Highways Voices we hear how the island of Malta is embracing British technology to transform its transport, as we talk to Kurt Farrugia, the CEO of Transport Malta to find out what happens when uncoordinated road works, political pressure, and emergency recovery collide to lead to the use of a single platform to prevent gridlock. This interview was prompted by TRL’s exporter of the year win at last autumn’s ITS UK Awards, and why Malta chose to digitise roadworks coordination at a national scale, and how their challenges, resistance, and lessons learned are directly relevant to UK networks dealing with congestion, resilience, and the push toward smarter traffic management systems. Subscribe to Highways Voices free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or Pocket Casts and never miss an episode! In today’s podcast you’ll hear a real-world example of how digital road works coordination can reduce congestion, political tension, and operational risk across an entire transport network, with practical insights into overcoming organisational resistance, stakeholder buy-in, and implementation challenges when moving from email-based processes to shared digital platforms. This is a really interesting insight into how the UK can win the export business, so it’s relevant if you run a network in the UK, or if you have a product you could sell overseas. Highways Voices is brought to you with our partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ADEPT and ITS UK. (Picture – TRL)
TfL publishes draft Business Plan aimed at encouraging public transport and active travel
Transport for London has set out its new draft Business Plan, which it calls its :ambitious programme for the future of London’s transport network – building on huge progress made over the last decade, from launching the Night Tube and the Superloop to delivering the Elizabeth line, more than quadrupling Cycleways and building the largest […]
Central government underfunding blamed for road flooding
Falls in funding for local authorities are being blamed for a rise in the number of roads being flooded, because councils cannot afford to clear storm drains before bad weather. The Telegraph reports The River Otter burst its banks in Devon on Tuesday morning as it swelled to a record 2.83 metres deep following heavy […]
SWARCO join calls for standards adherence
The Head of Product & Solutions SWARCO UK & Ireland has backed calls for the industry to insist on rigorous standards now, or risk “haemorrhaging money” later. Derek McLean is responding to an opinion piece written by TOPAS’s Kealie Franklin in Highways News, adding his voice to the the opinion that “standards are not optional, […]
County council meets with Oxford MPs to discuss ageing Kennington rail bridge
Representatives from Oxfordshire County council have met with two Oxford MPs to discuss the ageing A423 Kennington rail bridge and its strategic importance to the city. Councillor Judy Roberts, council officers and the Environment Agency met with Layla Moran MP and Anneliese Dodds MP to discuss the condition of the bearings, concrete and temporary propping […]
Rees Jeffreys Road Fund sponsors World Congress “Curiosity Box” to inspire the next generation
The Rees Jeffreys Road Fund is giving a grant to the hosts of the 2027 Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Birmingham to support their “Curiosity Box” they’ll showcase to Year 6 children in the run-up to, and at the event. A Curiosity Box is an established curriculum-linked STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) education resource, […]
Council reports 14% journey time improvement after MOVA installation
Highways managers in the city of Southend in Essex is reporting measurable improvements at a key junction in the city after the installation of MOVA technology at a set of traffic signals. The technology, which means traffic signals communicate with each other so flows are managed in response to demand as opposed to being based […]
Places filling up fast for Traffic Signs 2026
The Institute of Highway Engineers is reminding industry professionals that the IHE Traffic Signs Conference and Exhibition 2026, returns to Birmingham on 24 March and the full programme is officially live. This year’s theme, “Signs of Progress”, brings together experts from the Department for Transport, local authorities, consultants and industry to explore the future of […]
MSP proposes extra lane as ‘interim solution’ to ease congestion at Sheriffhall roundabout
Christine Grahame, SNP MP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, is pressing for the creation of an extra lane as an interim solution to the long tailbacks at one of the busiest junctions on the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass. She said some motorists already used scrub land next to the A7 as an unofficial extra lane and someone […]