Delivering Innovation

Originally the project was designed to be completed under lane closures, however the FM Conway team demonstrated that if the project was carried out under contraflow then the programme of works could be reduced.

This meant that the team could deliver the works during day and night hours, rather than just night hours, which reduced the programme of works from a month to just two weeks. As part of the project the team also strengthened parts of the central reservation so that crossing points could be created on the road.

By doing this the team could then install contraflow to move all the traffic onto one carriageway, allowing the planers to take off the old surfacing over the entire length of the road before starting the resurfacing process.

Challenges and Solutions 

Due to the nature of the project location and the scope of the works, the project carried significant concerns over health and safety.

However, by separating the planing from the surfacing, this meant that the working environment was less congested and far safer.

With the full carriageway to work on, the Surfacing team’s productivity was far greater, enabling them to lay 800t of material a day.

Furthermore, the addition of a contraflow removed the need for lane closures, meaning that the project could continue whilst keeping disruption to the local area to a minimum.

Outcomes

The FM Conway team presented the client with a far more efficient way of operating on this project, whilst also providing cost and time savings within the successful project delivery.

“We make every effort to ensure that the impact on the local community and road users is kept to an absolute minimum and we were delighted that this scheme met Highways England’s imperatives of safety, delivery and customer focus,” said Highways England Project Manager Raymond Li.