The UK Roadwork Ban - Good News for UK Haulage Workers

In the UK, Government plans are underway to restrict roadworks stretching more than two miles on motorways and busy A-roads. Just what does this mean for those working in the UK haulage industry who spend much of their working lives on the road?

A Congested Country

According to INRIX’s Urban Mobility Annual Scorecard Report, the United Kingdom has the fifth-worst congestion in Europe, with drivers spending about 30 hours in gridlock annually. London won the top spot for most congested city in Europe – drivers there wasted about 96 hours in traffic in 2014. As anyone working in the UK haulage industry knows, for them more than most, time is money. For large HGVs, it can cost up to £1 per minute to be stuck in traffic. Lorry drivers work long hours as it is, so any delays have a personal cost as well as a financial one.

With congestion already high, roadworks can slow things down even more, resulting in miles-long lines of idling cars and lorries. (Currently, the biggest roadwork project stretches 18 miles, on the M1 in Chesterfield.) The congestion isn’t likely to ease, with a huge £15.2 billion road-improvement plan that will see more than three-quarters of motorways and major A-roads resurfaced by 2020.

Limiting Roadworks

The ban prohibits stretches of roadwork over two miles long, and large projects will be split into two mile sections in order to accommodate the new rules. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin also urged Highways England to achieve better communication with drivers so that they can plan alternative routes.

A spokesman for the Department of Transportation said: "Our road investment strategy will deliver the biggest upgrade to Britain's roads in a generation and secure our transport network for the long-term. But, as it is delivered, we've got to respect the drivers who use our roads every day. That means taking common-sense decisions to minimise frustrations wherever possible."

The ban is believed to have been prompted by demands of several ministers particularly concerned about roadworks on the M1 and M3. On the former, five sets of roadworks cumulatively span over 100 miles. On the latter, the upgrade to "smart motorways" (in which the hard shoulder is made into an extra lane) has resulted in sweeping 50mph speed limits that have slowed traffic dramatically.

The Ban’s Impact

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has applauded the announcement of the roadwork ban. Their Head of Road Network Management Policy, Malcolm Bingham, says that in addition to cutting delays, limiting roadworks to two-mile stretches could also cut the number of accidents in roadworks areas, as nose-to-tail shunts are more common in slow-moving queues of traffic.

In the fast-paced industry UK haulage industry, this new ban on roadworks over two miles long could very well make lorry drivers’ work a little bit easier.