Highways Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2011-2012

Summary of our Performance: SECTION 2
The Protocol has been
widely viewed as good
practice and its adoption
has reduced the time
and cost incurred by
us in dealing with such
applications. Reductions
in costs for developers are
achieved through making
our modelling and traffic
flow data available at no
cost and through clearer
guidance on what level of
information is required at
each stage.
New asset support
contracts for
maintenance and
renewal of the
network
Over the coming years we
need to continue to meet
and exceed customers’
needs in providing roads
that are both safe and
reliable, but at a lower cost.
In 2011 we developed the
new asset support contract
(ASC), which will gradually
replace the existing
arrangements, known as
managing agent contractor
(MAC) contracts, and will
underpin the delivery of
maintenance, renewal
and improvement services
for most of our motorway
and trunk road network
whilst delivering greater
efficiency. The new ASCs
reflect changes in our
delivery requirements and
provide more flexibility in
the way asset maintenance
and improvements are
delivered.
The North West Service Delivery
team, in discussions with its
contractors and through careful
risk management, has delivered
savings totalling £5.4 million in
2011-12, which were subsequently
reinvested in further network
improvements.
The savings were achieved by:
• Combining individual schemes
to reduce the number of site
compounds, overhead and
staffing costs.
• Reviewing working methods
such as contra flow traffic
management and lane widths.
• Adopting a flexible approach
to network occupancy by
extending the contractors
working time where this could
be done without adverse
impact on traffic flow.
Case Study:
Savings made through
introduction of LEAN
techniques
• Introducing managed daytime
weekend lane closures and
overnight motorway closures.
• Considering alternative options
for vehicle recovery and speed
cameras.
The team has also been involved
in cutting waste through the
applications of LEAN techniques.
The idea of LEAN is to maximise
the value to customers whilst
minimising waste. Techniques
included introducing LEAN
daily management boards on all
major construction projects and
holding regular LEAN training
sessions with their supply chain
to drive carbon and monetary
savings. Specific modifications
to construction techniques have
been introduced on a number of
sites including the M60 Junctions
19 to 22. £0.65 million cash and
efficiency savings have been
achieved in 2011-12.
Contraflow in place to minimise lane closure
Highways Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2011-12