How many times have you sat in roadworks ? And how many times have you gotten annoyed by roadworks? But have you ever really thought about the process of getting those road cones and signs out on the road? It seems like they are a bit of an enigma, there one day and gone the next. But where do they come from and how do they get there?
Beaumont Traffic Management Ltd has been designing and installing traffic management (TM) schemes for 24 years. Based in Studley, they are one of the longest-serving traffic management companies in the area. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and they often hear the words, “it’s just a few signs and cones”. But it is more than that.
The design and installation of temporary traffic management (TTM) is so complicated that it can take up to 3 months to get the relevant permissions before a cone is even placed on the road.
Traffic management has never been just a few signs and cones unless you go back to the 1950s and ’60s where it was very basic, as you can see in the photo below. This was due to the fact there were far fewer vehicles on the road in those days, most of the road network was new, most bridges and interchanges were new and so the need for any complicated systems was a far cry away.
In more recent times, due to the ever-growing infrastructure, SMART motorways, multi-lane motorways, and very high vehicle usage in this country, TTM has evolved to become a specialist field all on its own.
All operatives receive specialist accredited training to enable them to install the systems safely and correctly, and this must be done whilst wearing copious amounts of personal protective equipment. You cannot allow just anybody to work out on the road, operatives work within live traffic and this makes it extremely dangerous, so safety is paramount.
Chapter 8 and the Traffic Sign Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) have both been revised (and expanded) several times since the early 1990s to cater to this ever-changing world. Interim Advice Notes have been issued by the dozen to deal with advances in technology and thinking and to improve safety not only for those on-site but for all road users.
Designing and installing a TTM scheme is a complicated process and can take weeks or months of planning with various drawings and meetings with key stakeholders such as local authorities and National Highways to decide on the final scheme. Failure to plan can lead to delays in a project.
Once done, the process of booking road space, applying for temporary traffic orders e.g., reduced speed limit, no right turn, contraflow running, road closures, etc. start. Some of these can take 3 months to get approved.
In conjunction with this, TTM drawings need to be prepared in advance of this to supplement any liaison/application, and Business Information Modelling (BIM) may be required for the project. Signs need to be made; cones may need to be ordered and specialist equipment such as safety camera vans may need to be arranged. Advance Information signs such as “Work Starts Here” need to be erected, usually 2 to 4 weeks before commencement. Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) need to be written and submitted and signed off by the customer; these are large documents that take many hours to produce. So, there is no doubt that failure to plan TTM can lead to big problems before you even start on site.
The days of it being “just a few signs and cones” are long gone. TTM is now an integral part of any highway scheme and should be at the forefront of any Project Manager’s mind when planning the works with their team otherwise, if ignored, it can lead to delays to the start of the project. And we all know “time is money”.
If you need any traffic management Beaumont Traffic Management Ltd here to help and guide you through the requirements. They are a friendly, professional team here to help and advise. To learn more about our services please visit our website www.beaumonttmltd.co.uk