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As part of your project with us to ensure that we work safely for both our team members and customers, we may need to close the road.
We've detailed below some useful information, our team will always aim to discuss these with you when we carry out your site survey to ensure that you are fully aware of the measures we need to put in place.
Why do we need a road closure?
- We have various duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure the health and safety of our workforce, other road users and the public at all times whilst completing works
- We also need room to work safely, store materials and plant, and park vehicles (including the heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), needed to complete the backfilling and reinstatement of excavations)
- Under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, we have a duty to sign, light and guard our works and we do this by working to the Department of Transport’s-Safety at Street Works and Road Works, A Code of Practice. Failure to comply with this Code is deemed as evidence of failing to fulfil the legal requirements to sign, light and guard works
In essence, we need to provide the following:
1. A safe working area for our workforce, where they have room to work, store materials such as the excavated material and stand plant such as mini excavators
2. They need to be able to park their vehicles within the traffic management and be able to get in and out of them safely
3. HGVs typically attend to bring in the heavy materials we use to backfill and reinstate excavations and they need to do the same
4. There are specified widths of safety zones we need between our works area and the live traffic
5. As well as specified widths we need to leave for traffic to pass our works
Whenever we do not have room for any of these things, then a road closure is required.
Historically this has been around 30% of the time for new connection or replacement supply work. We may also need to use a road closure if working in close proximity to a level crossing or a very busy road.
When a temporary road closure, other highway restriction such as speed reduction or turning restriction, or when we need to suspend something like a cycle lane or parking bay, then a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order is required.
The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 requires us to give advanced notice of our works on the highway to the local highway authority. The associated Code of practice for the co-ordination of street and road works, classifies works with a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order as being `Major’ and so requiring we serve a minimum of three months notice to the highway authority, before works can start, this timescale will affect when we can start your works.
Further information