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Exclusive: Ministers dump VED pledge and strip local roads of billions 30/11/2020 The Government appears to have abandoned its commitment to create a National Roads Fund (NRF) through the hypothecation of vehicle excise duty (VED), undoing a long-standing promise without informing MPs or the public.
Lower Thames Crossing planning permission failures revealed 30/11/2020 The Planning Inspectorate has released a list of reasons why it was set to turn down Highways England's planning application for the Lower Thames Crossing.
Scale up talking traffic development, DfT report says 26/11/2020 Transport technology experts have urged ministers to ‘pick up and run with’ the findings of a new report that calls for a step change in work to exploit connected vehicle data.
New road gets £110m but 'cost could rise' 26/11/2020 Lincolnshire County Council has been allocated £110m government funding towards the North Hykeham Relief Road but has warned that the cost may well rise beyond its current £155m price tag.
Wales makes active interactive with live maps 26/11/2020 The Welsh Government has launched an interactive map to gather opinions about local walking and cycling paths from communities in several areas across Wales.
Spending review gives £1.7bn to local roads 25/11/2020 The Spending Review has allocated the Department for Transport (DfT) £1.7bn for local roads next year.
Sunak recycles money for green transport 25/11/2020 The chancellor has used the Spending Review to confirm billions of pounds for public transport, low emission vehicles and active travel, including adding more detail to Boris Johnson’s recent ‘Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’.
Dashboard gives 'unique insight' into local road danger 25/11/2020 The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) has launched an online dashboard that provides information about crashes in each MP’s constituency.
Government banks on place-based infrastructure 25/11/2020 The chancellor Rishi Sunak used to the 2020 Spending Review to launch a new strategy for UK infrastructure, supported by an infrastructure bank and a place-based 'levelling up' fund.
Deck Scraper gets under the skin of membrane removal 24/11/2020 Kier Highways has designed and built a machine that it says offers a safer, more sustainable and more efficient method for removing waterproof membranes from road assets.
New section opens as £189m A6 dualling nears completion 24/11/2020 The final section of the A6 Randalstown to Castledawson Dualling Scheme in Northern Ireland has opened.
Newham to launch £100m framework for highways works 24/11/2020 Newham Council is seeking bidders for a framework worth up to £100m covering highway schemes and planned maintenance.
Hounslow feeling chipper with new electric plant 23/11/2020 Hounslow Highways is keeping its fingers green in more ways than one, after unveiling its first electric chipper.
Lower Thames Crossing planning application delayed after facing failure 23/11/2020 Highways England has been forced to rethink its planning bid for the Lower Thames Crossing after the Planning Inspectorate revealed it would turn the application down.
IHE unveils new online workshops for winter services 20/11/2020 The Institute of Highway Engineers has announced a series of short online workshops to teach the basic components of winter service delivery.
Analysis: What drives an industry to take a systems approach? 20/11/2020 Atkins' MD Highways, Peter Baynham, and chief engineer Ian Gibson explore the benefits that systems thinking would bring and what happens if we don’t do it.
LCRIG membership welcomes first utility company 19/11/2020 The Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) has signed up Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network, to its membership.
Highways Presents: FM Conway's Big Ten in 10 19/11/2020 FM Conway has launched a new health and safety strategy that is already having a huge impact on the sector and removing risk from everyday working practices.
Robust barriers are streets ahead 19/11/2020 Local authorities are being urged to install concrete or steel barriers, rather than plastic alternatives, to aid social distancing in town and city centres.
Camera and sensors scan Kent for potholes 19/11/2020 Kent County Council and Amey are trialling a system that combines cameras and sensors on buses and council vehicles to spot potholes and other carriageway defects.
Thank you Highways Hero Scott Logan 18/11/2020 The team at WJ Group say a big thank you to their transport manager, Scott Logan, who undoubtedly earned the title Highways Hero for his tireless efforts during the pandemic helping keep his staff and the wider community safe.
Johnson leaves flyover cash bid up in the air 18/11/2020 A Conservative MP has lobbied the prime minister in parliament to commit to funding a replacement for the Gallows Corner flyover but failed to secure any promises.
Analysis: Smooth sailing for Bristol traffic control 18/11/2020 Wilke Reints of Siemens Mobility Limited discusses how his team worked with Bristol City Council to give the city a modern, resilient and integrated traffic control service that passed the COVID test.
Highways England: Take extra care at roadworks to save lives 18/11/2020 Highways England has revealed new research and video that it says show the dangers of drivers not paying attention through roadworks.
Exclusive: Highways England considers new 'national certification scheme' 18/11/2020 Highways England is considering reforms to the Product Assessment Scheme process, to help streamline the system and create a national highways sector scheme for certification bodies, Highways can reveal.
PM outlines 10 point plan for green revolution 18/11/2020 The prime minister has outlined a 10 point plan for a 'green industrial revolution' including bringing forward a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2030.
Heads of the Valleys dualling scheme to cost over £100m a mile 17/11/2020 The Welsh Government has denied understating the construction cost of the final A465 dualling scheme as details of the future cost to taxpayers over three decades have belatedly emerged.
Contract extension will make it 20 years for Telent in Kent 17/11/2020 Telent has won a five-year extension of its traffic signal maintenance contract with Kent County Council.
Sunak 'considers road pricing to plug tax gap' 16/11/2020 The chancellor is reportedly considering introducing road pricing to address a tax shortfall of up to £40bn that is expected to arise as drivers switch to electric cars.
DfT warns councils over £175m active travel cash 13/11/2020 Transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced councils' allocations for the £175m second tranche of the Active Travel Fund.
Major road network announcement could be made within weeks 13/11/2020 The Department for Transport still has a vision for the major road network (MRN) and could make further announcements on schemes in the next few weeks, a senior official has said.
HAUC scans the streetworks horizon 12/11/2020 The Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (HAUC (UK)) has launched a five-year Vision for street and roadworks in the UK ‘to help deliver an economy fit for the information and carbon-neutral age’.
Stonehenge tunnel wins development consent 12/11/2020 Development consent has been given to the Stonehenge tunnel and wider A303 improvement scheme.
Highways England invites tenders for £2bn Lower Thames Crossing 12/11/2020 Highways England has invited tenders for its largest ever contract - a £2bn package to build the Lower Thames Crossing.
Heavier lorries 'may need new lanes' 12/11/2020 Plans for longer and heavier lorries on Britain’s roads may require strengthened lanes designed specifically for HGVs on strategic roads, an industry body has said.
Comment: Rewarding and recognising our #HighwaysHeroes 10/11/2020 As CEO of Amey, Amanda Fisher's her priority is investment in frontline employees, recognising the great work our #highwaysheroes do every day.
Rare 10-year study shows benefits of apshalt reinforcement 10/11/2020 Richard Carr of ABG - a leader in high performance geosynthetic systems - discusses a 10-year trial showing geosynthetic asphalt reinforcement can save on maintenance costs.
Devon link road scheme gets approval with reduced pricetag 10/11/2020 Ministers have approved £60m towards a major upgrade of a section of the A361 North Devon Link Road, the cost of which has fallen by around £25m since the summer.
It's immaterial: Breedon agrees £12m assets sale 10/11/2020 Construction materials group Breedon has agreed the sale of 14 sites in order to comply with a competition ruling following its acquisition of Cemex UK.
Private financing pays for £550m Heads of the Valleys section 10/11/2020 The Welsh Government has awarded a major road widening contract, which will use private finance and is estimated to be worth more than half a billion pounds.
Better places and active living with Balfour Beatty Living Places 09/11/2020 As England goes through a second national lockdown, Steve Helliwell, managing director of Balfour Beatty Living Places, discusses how the spring lockdown transformed the way people travel - from a reliance on cars to more options for active travel.
O'Sullivan hails Highways England 'transformation' 06/11/2020 Road design and construction has been transformed over the past five years by Highways England, its outgoing chief executive Jim O’Sullivan has said.
Automated Lane Keeping Systems - the road ahead 05/11/2020 David Ward, senior technical manager for functional safety at automotive engineering consultancy HORIBA MIRA, asks what best practice looks like in the new era of Automated Lane Keeping Systems.
Transport Scotland learns winter lessons after Queensferry closure 05/11/2020 The Scottish Government’s winter service provision for its trunk road network will include a record number of gritters and ice sensors for the Queensferry Crossing.
The count has stopped: Highway Electrical Association elects new president 05/11/2020 Bob Gaskell of CU Phosco Lighting is the new president of the Highway Electrical Association.
CECA launches Highways Maintenance Group 05/11/2020 The Civil Engineering Contractors Association has created a specialist sector group for member companies with an interest in highways maintenance.
Turning ‘grey’ areas to green 05/11/2020 Road conditions are usually rated as red, amber or green in ascending quality. But what about those on the borderline that can quickly deteriorate? Given modern survey techniques, highway authorities can refine asset management strategies to save money and carbon. The team at ASI Solutions make their case.
Don't hang around on Gallows Corner fix, MP says 05/11/2020 A London MP has urged mayor Sadiq Khan to ensure that ‘much needed improvements’ are carried out to a 50-year-old temporary flyover, despite Transport for London’s current cash crisis.
MP calls for changes to highways funding formula 04/11/2020 A Conservative MP has called for reforms to the maintenance funding formula for highway authorities in England to take into account road condition, traffic volumes and the council's own contributions.
SRL boosts efficiency of temporary signals 04/11/2020 Cheshire-based ITS equipment provider SRL has released new adaptive traffic management technology to increase vehicle flow for temporary traffic signals.
Hammersmith Bridge 'won't open until 2027' 03/11/2020 Transport minister Baroness Vere has revealed that Hammersmith Bridge will not be 'fully open' to motorised vehicles until 2027, after decades of corrosion went unchecked.
From portholes to potholes: Is a circle the answer to road defects? 02/11/2020 Road Mole is an award-winning pothole and ironworks repair system with a difference - its repairs are circular.
Highways England reassures sector 'we will not be stopping' 02/11/2020 Highways England has issued a statement on the second national lockdown confirming that it will 'not be stopping any activities'.
Transport and infrastructure to continue throughout second lockdown 02/11/2020 The Government has asked those in 'critical national infrastructure' to continue working throughout the second lockdown period which begins on 5 November and will run until at least 2 December.
Major plans for York ring slow but true 30/10/2020 Work to upgrade a section of the York Outer Ring Road to dual carriageway, which was announced by Chris Grayling two years ago, may not start until 2023.
Surrey looks to future with £20m LED conversion 29/10/2020 Surrey County Council is to convert all of its 89,000 street lights to LEDs over the next three years at a cost of £20m.
Grayling MRN scheme nears approval, two years on 29/10/2020 £13m of major road network (MRN) cash will be released for upgrades to the A595 at Grizebeck, Cumbria, the transport secretary has announced, two years after his predecessor said the scheme would be funded under the MRN.
Live Labs trial gets smart to tackle air quality 28/10/2020 Siemens Mobility has installed air quality sensors in the Thames Valley to create pollution models and understand how traffic management can limit exposure.
Transport and energy must be planned together, councils told 28/10/2020 Councils have been urged to start developing local energy plans bringing transport and energy strategies together to support the expansion of electric vehicles.
Official figures confirm rise in Scottish road deaths 28/10/2020 Final figures for Scotland's road safety record in 2019 have confirmed that the number of people killed in crashes increased from 161 in 2018 to 165, while a further 2,016 people were seriously injured.
AI robot could detect and fix potholes by 2021 27/10/2020 Scientists at the University of Liverpool have claimed that autonomous AI robots could be used to detect and repair potholes and road defects by 2021.
Traffic management and the road ahead: Highways speaks to ADEPT's Mark Corbin 26/10/2020 Following the second annual ADEPT National Traffic Managers conference, Mark Corbin, key route network manager for Transport for West Midlands and chair of ADEPT's National Traffic Management Forum, spoke to Highways about the issues his sector faces.
Pooley Bridge steels itself with new bridge 26/10/2020 The UK’s first stainless steel road bridge has officially opened – nearly five years after its predecessor was swept away in a storm.
Dynniq makes it a generation game with North Yorks 26/10/2020 Dynniq has retained its traffic signals maintenance with North Yorkshire County Council, extending their working relationship to over 20 years.
Clearview buys social distancing solution 23/10/2020 Clearview Intelligence has purchased the rights to distribute the EGOpro Social Distancing Solution in the UK from Levett Business Services.
Thatcham and ABI give ALKS the red X 23/10/2020 Researchers and insurers have urged ministers to rethink a plan to introduce self-driving technology onto UK roads early next year ‘because it will put lives at risk’.
Transport planners call time on major road schemes 22/10/2020 The Transport Planning Society has called for an overhaul of British transport governance, funding and appraisal, effectively askng for an end to investment in large new road projects due to their carbon impact.
'One-year' November Spending Review settlement confirmed 22/10/2020 The chancellor has confirmed there will only be a one-year Spending Review this November, with funding commitments focused on COVID recovery, infrastructure, schools and the NHS.
Shapps pledges to keep Kent moving with internal border 22/10/2020 The Government has confirmed that all HGVs using the Short Straits channel crossings will need a permit to enter Kent.
Highways England advertises £190m Area 3 deal 22/10/2020 Highways England has published the contract notice for the new Area 3 Asset Delivery Maintenance and Response Contract, worth up to £190m over eight years.
Car manufacturers call for more Govt support in EV market 21/10/2020 The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders has called on government to do more for the electric vehicle market, warning that Britain could lose unit allocations without strong consumer demand.
EHA framework hits £400m round three 21/10/2020 Nine contractors have won places on a framework for highway maintenance and improvement schemes in the East of England that could be worth up to £400m over four years.
We need a collective change of mindset 21/10/2020 As Tarmac calls for greater use of warm mix asphalt, its technical director, Brian Kent, identifies a possible lack of understanding about its benefits.
RSTA to get the Gaist treatment 21/10/2020 Highway technology company Gaist has joined the Road Surface Treatments Association with the aim of sharing knowledge and optimising road maintenance solutions.
'Perplexing and offensive': Highways England faces controversial rebrand 21/10/2020 The Government is considering spending an estimated £7m to rebrand Highways England as 'National Highways', the Guardian has reported.
DfT confirms LGF cash for South Yorkshire road scheme 16/10/2020 Ministers have agreed to release £42m of Local Growth Fund (LGF) cash towards a longstanding road widening scheme in South Yorkshire.
£21.5m road scheme ‘a statement of intent’ 16/10/2020 Warwickshire County Council is set to spend nearly £21.5m to transform Nuneaton’s transport infrastructure, with active travel ‘at the heart’ of its plans.
Spy in the cab targets dangerous driving 16/10/2020 Police in southern England detected 305 driving offences in a nine-day operation after officers acquired HGV licences so they could operate a lorry cab on the strategic road network.
Police must adopt covert anti-speeding operations, report says 15/10/2020 Police forces and safer road partnerships should launch programmes of 'covert or random enforcement' making use of mobile speed cameras, a new report argues.
Fresh Arundel bypass plans could see costs hit £455m 15/10/2020 Revised plans for a controversial new bypass for Arundel on the A27 in West Sussex have been announced by Highways England and could see the cost increase by up to £200m.
Use warm mix to cut jams, Tarmac says 15/10/2020 A major contractor and supplier has called for new thinking in road construction after a new survey showed that people believe traffic levels are almost back to pre-pandemic levels across the UK.
Bath widens 20mph limits to cut vehicle dominance 15/10/2020 Bath and North East Somerset Council is set to extend 20mph limits to some of the main routes in and out of Bath for the first time.
Ash dieback could cost councils billions, Tree Council warns 15/10/2020 UK local authorities could be facing a bill of billions of pounds as a result of ash dieback disease making trees unsafe near roads and other sensitive areas.
Exclusive: Average speed cameras cut Welsh air pollution by half 14/10/2020 Highways can reveal that air pollution at roadside hotspots reduced dramatically after the Welsh Government began enforcing lower speed limits with cameras.
Welsh councils to get pavement parking enforcement powers 14/10/2020 Councils in Wales could have greater powers to prevent pavement parking by 2022 after ministers backed recommendations from an independent taskforce.
Aggregate Industries announces offsetting plans for 'carbon neutral' asphalt 14/10/2020 Aggregate Industries has pledged to make its low temperature SuperLow asphalt range carbon neutral through offsetting emissions.
The A14 story part 4: The strength beneath the structure 14/10/2020 The latest in our A14 series comes from the team at Tensar, whose reinforced soil systems were used extensively on the Highways England improvement project, delivering permanent structures for junction improvements and load bearing abutments for temporary bridges.
Parking survey highlights COVID impact 14/10/2020 A survey of councils has highlighted COVID's impact on parking revenue, with responses also suggesting the pandemic could accelerate a shift in parking policy and processes.
New cycle separator range off to flying start 14/10/2020 Capitalising on the active travel boom, Leafield Highways has launched a brand new Cycle Lane Separator (CLS) bollard range and is already seeing success across the country.
UK companies win €1.2m to use satellite tech in road studs 13/10/2020 Valerann and Excelerate Technology have won €1.2m funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) to use satellite technologies for road safety, traffic management and autonomous cars.
Farmers propose Highways Act changes after walker deaths 12/10/2020 The National Farmers Union (NFU) has written to the environment minister to propose an amendment to the Highways Act 1980 that will allow for temporary diversions of public rights of way where livestock are present.
Surrey seeks to maximise opportunities of £2.5bn roads deal 12/10/2020 Surrey County Council is advertising a new highway maintenance contract that could be worth £2.5bn over 21 years, with the stated value of the deal having trebled in three months.
JV aims to leverage big players’ collective knowledge 09/10/2020 A joint venture has pledged to leverage the collective knowledge, expertise and network of two of the sector’s biggest players to tackle the challenge of maintaining a chunk of London’s roads.
200 years later, Thomas Telford comes to COVID rescue 08/10/2020 A suspension bridge designed by Thomas Telford almost 200 years ago has reopened to transport use to aid social distancing in a county now under a local COVID-19 lockdown.
Highways Awards finalists revealed! 08/10/2020 It was fantastic to see a record number of entries this year, and perhaps now more than ever your work deserves to be celebrated.
RSMA backs diabetes charter 08/10/2020 The Road Safety Markings Association has endorsed the Diabetes Safety Organisation's 'Tackling Diabetes Safety Charter’.
Inclusive roads: Making highways improve health and save lives 08/10/2020 Speaking to ADEPT's annual traffic management conference, Kate Carpenter of Jacobs gave an important analysis of the role of modern road and vehicle design in public health.
DfT seeking partners in reform 07/10/2020 The Department for Transport and partners are preparing to award contracts for work that could support major reforms, including updates to traffic regulation orders (TROs) and guidance on the design of streets.
'Spring 2021' timeline for councils to moving traffic enforcement powers 07/10/2020 Councils in England could have control of enforcement powers for moving traffic violations by the middle of next year, the Department for Transport’s head of traffic and technology has said.
Dorset leaves old TRO methods in the past 07/10/2020 Dorset Council has become the first council to have transitioned to AppyWay’s end-to-end Traffic Order Suite.

Most Popular News

Lower Thames Crossing planning application delayed after facing failure

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