Motorway roadworks speed limits raised to 60mph

Aaron Morby 5 years ago
Share

Highways England is raising the highest safe speed limit for motorists passing through major motorway works to 60mph.

The decision to raise the limit follows trials with contractors on eight motorway schemes. This resulted in more motorists staying within the speed limit and saved on average 3,800 hours of journey time compared with the 50mph limit.

Highways England projects teams and their supply chain partners will now decide what is the most appropriate and safest speed for works on large-scale major projects.

Future roadworks using 60mph will need to consider how the traffic management through the roadworks is designed to factor in the increased limit and keep road workers and the travelling public safe.

This could include installing barriers and crash cushions tested for higher speed limits; ensuring appropriately sized working areas, lane widths, road markings and signage as well as remote-controlled “prism” signs for dynamically changing the speed limit from 50mph to 60mph and back again.

Jim O’Sullivan, Highways England chief executive, said: “We have a huge programme of work planned, so being able to use 60mph where safe will continue to improve everybody’s experience of our roads.”

Some road projects, which trialled 60mph during an eight or 10-week period over the last 18 months, were confident with how the increased speed limit was operating so rolled it out further within the roadworks or kept it on until the work completed.

 

On the M1 between junctions 13 to 16 in Northamptonshire, the M6 between junctions 13 to 15 in Staffordshire, and the M4 between junctions 3 to 12 near Reading, the 60mph will remain in use.

Andy Bannister, programme director at Costain Galliford Try JV in the M1 trial, said: “Supporting Highway England’s trial to run 60mph 24/7 through temporary roadworks involved Costain Galliford Try joint venture working with a number of stakeholders to agree the parameters in which it could be safely operated.

“The changes from the standard operation of 50mph included installing wider lane widths and markings, as well as additional message signs to aid the travelling public and the site work force when entering and exiting the works.

“The temporary barrier system was upgraded to cope with the higher speeds. This needed us to give up working space, which we were able to do safely.”

He added: “Following an initial successful trial period and review we all agreed that the 60mph could be extended both in length and duration. This continues to be monitored to ensure it is operating safely and delivering the benefits to the public.”

 

Latest news

Blenheim House payout hopes fade as claims hit £33m

Suggested 10p in the £1 payout for subcontractors now unlikely
2 hours ago

£1.3bn decarbonising and fire safety deals out for bid

South East Consortium starts hunt for firms for housing upgrade work prize
2 hours ago

£30m turnover M&E contractor files administration notice

TNA Electrical makes administration application
3 hours ago

Plan for first big offices at £1.7bn Manchester innovation hub

500,000 sq ft of offices planned at renamed Sister development
2 hours ago

Murphy starts work on £2.5bn Eastern Green Link 1

Giant subsea electricity cable project will take three years to build
2 hours ago

Subcontractors wanted for work across Birmingham

Latest Constructionline event: Register now
3 hours ago

Acheson Construction files administration notice

£53m turnover South West contractor lodges court notice
1 day ago

Hunt for 10 firms to deliver £37bn new hospital plan

Race starts for mega-framework with pledge to spread work among all firms
1 day ago

Springfield to build homes for army of green energy workers

Scottish house builder sells 2,480 plots to Barratt Redrow in strategy switch
1 day ago

Preferred bidder for Stoke city centre scheme

Genr8 Kajima to build Etruscan Square scheme in Hanley
1 day ago

BAM go-ahead for £56m Glasgow leisure centre

Work to start on East Renfrewshire complex later this year
1 day ago

Network Rail fined £3.75m after double track worker death

Michael Lewis and Gareth Delbridge were killed while working on rail line in Wales
4 days ago

Local contractor Castle lands £60m South Shields campus

Work to start this summer on new home for South Tyneside College and South Shields Marine School
4 days ago

GRAHAM wins £100m deal after safety regulator approval

Dyecoats scheme in Leeds becomes one of first to receive Building Safety Act Gateway 2 green light
5 days ago

London Super Sewer now fully connected

10-year construction programme draws to a close
4 days ago

McLaren signs off £125m London Bank over-station job

Developer Helical secures funding deal for 8-storey office job
4 days ago

Work on Labour’s new towns to start by 2029

More than 100 sites put forward for a dozen new town locations
4 days ago

Unite hails 12 years without a site accident at Battersea

More than 4,000 union members have worked on the redevelopment without a single serious accident
4 days ago

Housing orders surge offers hope after 5.2% new work fall last year

Housing orders surged 24% in final quarter of 2024 as developers release schemes
5 days ago

McLaren Property gets new Construction Director

Jon Mangham joins from Equans
4 days ago

BAM Construction suffers £40m loss after Co-op Live setback

Civils business profit surges 24% to £80m
5 days ago

Over 150 jobs axed as J S Wright goes under

Insolvency specialist FRP Advisory goes in at Birmingham M&E specialist
5 days ago

Extra cash found to speed-up safety regulator

Government to spend extra £2m to clear backlog of high rise approvals
5 days ago

Galliford Try lands £63m RAF accommodation deal

Work to start within months at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire
5 days ago

Balfour Beatty wins Trent arched bridge job

Briton Fabricators will build the £13m bridge from prefabricated sections
5 days ago

Goldbeck to build new £50m Cardiff County Hall

German-owned contractor vowing to be a "disrupter in the UK market"
5 days ago

Laing O’Rourke chairman to step down

Ray O'Rourke to take over chair from Sir John Parker
6 days ago

Farrans lands Leeds Bradford Airport phase 2 upgrade

Contractor takes follow-on refurb job after terminal extension
6 days ago

ISG built Bristol housing block to be torn down

Contractor's collapse sinks Bristol flats remediation claim
6 days ago

RSK revenue nears £2bn as losses soar to £132m

Refinancing last summer puts group on course for more growth this year
6 days ago

Contractor services