Highways Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2011-2012

Operating the network: SECTION 3
Case Study:
M53 Bidston Moss
scheme achieves
one million injury-free
hours of work
The M53 Bidston Moss
scheme achieved an
important milestone,
securing one million
injury-free hours worked.
This means that since the
project started in March
M53 Bidston Moss
2009 there have been 120
weeks without a reportable
accident. At any one time
up to 250 people are
working on the site. The
M53 Bidston Moss Viaduct
is a 720 metre long, 37
metre span steel box girder
structure on the Wirral
approach to the Kingsway
Tunnel under the River
Mersey. It carries the M53
over the A554 roundabout
as well as the Birkenhead
to New Brighton railway.
marketing campaign working
with over 160 partners including
AA, RAC, professional freight
associations, local authorities
and shopping centres to deliver
winter messages through their
own communications channels.
We also widened our own use of
social media with dedicated twitter
feeds resulting in 53,000 hits on
related websites, giving advice to
road users during winter weather.
Reliable journeys
Managing traffic
We have devised an enhanced
method of service delivery, known
as the Future Operating Model, for
our traffic management functions.
This model aims to provide
improved delivery of services
to road users at a lower cost.
Changes that have been agreed
and are now being implemented
include:
• Variable crewing of traffic officer
vehicles.
• Introduction of 50 new fleet
vehicles, replacing ageing and
unreliable vehicles and saving
cost.
• Intelligence led deployment of
our traffic officers, both saving
money in fuel and reducing our
environmental impact.
• Introduction of a Central
Contact Centre to handle all
public and non-incident related
calls and contacts.
• The withdrawal of information
services where take up was low,
including Traffic Radio and the
Highways Agency automated
telephone information service.
• Renewed contracts for the
collection and dissemination
of traffic data at significantly
reduced cost.
• Flexible resourcing model to
more closely align the work
patterns of our people with the
demands on our service from
road users.
We forecast that this model will
transform the efficiency of traffic
management, with savings
estimated at around 20 per cent
in 2011-12. We have achieved a
total in-year saving of £43.8 million
against the Spending Review 2010
baseline, exceeding the budgeted
saving of £24.1 million. This has
been delivered through change
projects and through changes in
the way we manage our day-today
business in accordance with
the model.
Managing road works –
night time working
We are always seeking ways to
reduce the impact that road works
have on road users and rarely
carry out routine maintenance
during peak times. From April
2011 to March 2012, 99.94 per
cent of the Agency’s road network
was available for road users at
peak times, and 99.61 per cent
available at night (excluding
closures caused by incidents or
unplanned works).
Night-time resurfacing of the M1, at Junction 19
Highways Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2011-12