New AI app trialled by HE on A14 scheme identifies ‘high risk’ days to help manage safety
A new artificial intelligence app has been trialled on Highways England’s A14 Cambridge to Huntington improvement scheme, enabling ‘high risk’ days to be identified. The app allowed staff to record both hazards and good practice, with the information then used to identify potentially challenging days. At its peak, some 4,500 observations were submitted in one […]
Highways England to give historic railway bridge new lease of life
Highways England is set to restore a railway bridge in Horspath, to help ensure its continued use for local residents in the future, whilst preserving an important piece of British heritage. Recent surveys revealed a number of structural concerns, including the ongoing deterioration of the bridge parapets, or walls. The damage worsened over time and […]
Highways England starts the search for contractors for routine and response maintenance in Area 9
Highways England has started the search for contractors to deliver routine and response maintenace in Area 9. The area includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. Currently, Kier is the incumbent contractor, after it was awarded a three-year contract in 2018 to support the transition from traditional Asset Support Contracts to a new […]
September start date for A590 Cross-a-Moor roundabout project
Highways England’s construction of a new roundabout along the A590 at Cross-a-Moor south of Ulverston in Cumbria will start in September. The new roundabout will replace the existing staggered junction with Main Road running south off the A590 and Pennington Lane running north of it. Preparation work is scheduled to start in spring with the […]
Orwell Bridge variable speed innovation declared a success
A system which reduces the speed limit on the Orwell Bridge near Ipswich has meant the key route on the A14 has remained open in strong winds when in the past it would have had to be shut. The scheme involves new SWARCO-built electronic signs on the bridge displaying enforceable, changeable driver speed limits, mandating […]
More than 350 offences detected during operation targeting HGVs
Police in Suffolk have stopped almost 300 vehicles and detected over 350 offences, after targeting drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicles as part of an operation supported by Highways England. Operation Tramline saw police provided with an HGV tractor unit by Highways England, which allowed officers to carry out patrols across the strategic road network in […]
Jacobs secures seven additional years on Highways England’s Historical Railways Estate contract
Jacobs has been awarded the role of sole provider of a range of professional services to help Highways England manage the assets that make up the Historical Railways Estate (HRE). Jacobs is tasked with the maintenance and disposal of over 3,000 assets that make up the estate, including 77 listed structures across the United Kingdom. Jacobs […]
Villagers fight HE’s road closure plan
A group of residents in a village near Peterborough have set up an action group to try to stop Highways England closing one of their two access roads. The Peterborough Telegraph reports that the closure plan is part of a multi-million pound dualling of a 1.6 mile section of A47 single carriageway between Wansford and […]
Highways England starts work on ground investigations for A66 trans-Pennine project
Highways England has started ground investigations as it prepares to start further work on trhe A66 trans-Pennine route. The work includes testing different ground conditions along the route and soil types. For this, engineers are using ground penetrating radar and have up to ten crews operating from two site compounds on the A66, drilling approximately […]
All lane running driving requires a ‘different mindeset’, says RAC Foundation
The challenge for Highways England alongside smart motorway upgrades, is to effectively communicate to the travelling public that all lane running requires a different mindset, according to the RAC Foundation. Steve Gooding, Director of the RAC Foundation, said: “We welcome this acceleration in the retrofitting programme. Whilst the casualty numbers suggest smart motorways may, overall, […]