HTMA to release 'road space utilisation tool'

The UK's top highway contractors association is set to launch a 'road space utilisation tool' to help develop the sector's understanding of the risk and reward around closing roads for lane working.

Highways Term Maintenance Association expects to release the tool later this year.

Chief executive, George Lee, told the Institute of Highway Engineers conference: 'We are in the process of launching a road space utilisation tool, which is a risk-based tool that allows both contractors and highway authorities to determine what is the best form of working to undertake - whether that is temporary traffic management or full road closures for instance.

'The tool evaluates that on the basis of environmental impact, the safety impact from road users' perspective and safety impact from the road maintainer's perspective.

'It allows you to produce something that you can actually use to justify to elected members when you need to close a road – for instance it could demonstrate that you can get the work done in two nights and it will be safer than spreading it over four five days and may be efficiency savings from that.'