Summary
Customer satisfaction is a critical component of Highways England’s vision for the future; as part of this vision, Highways England is committed to improving the experience of driving through road works, whilst keeping safety at the forefront. The ‘60mph through road works’ project lead by TRL is supporting the planning, risk management, monitoring and evaluation of a series of on-road trials of 60mph speed restrictions within road works on the Strategic Road Network (SRN).
The Challenge
The project aims to understand the impact of changing the speed limit from 50mph to 60mph on selected sections of road works on the satisfaction levels of customers, the safety of road users and road workers, and the cost and delivery schedule of participating schemes. The findings from these trials will be used, along with previous research conducted for Highways England, to inform guidance material for the design and operation of future road works schemes.
Project Update
Multiple schemes across the SRN have been identified to support the on-road trials. As part of the safety risk management approach, each participating scheme is undertaking scheme specific risk assessments. As part of these assessments, the mitigations required to reduce risks as low as reasonably practicable are identified and defined. This ensures all safety considerations are addressed before implementing the 60mph speed limit within the road works scheme.
Alongside these assessments, detailed study plans are being developed. These study plans outline TRL’s method for collecting data on safety, customer satisfaction, cost and delivery.
On-road trials are planned for the New Year.
Links
Previous research: https://highwaysengland.co.uk/5560mph-speed-limit-through-roadworks-trial-reports/
