Highway Care is working on behalf of Kier Highways, in conjunction with Arbus Fencing to make improvements to the A309 Kingston Bypass. This case study examines the project requirements, services supplied and the outcome.
Project overview
Phase 1 of the A309 project started in March 2021 and involved upgrading the existing barrier in the central reservation on the Kingston Bypass to current standards, as the existing barrier was near to reaching its life expectancy.
Phase 2 is due to commence late 2021 and will be a continuation of the upgrade to the central reservation.
The works also aimed to increase the lengths of some of the barriers, to prevent errant vehicles from being able to cross over to the opposing carriageway on a busy stretch of road.
Installation and product
Highway Care supplied and installed approximately 2.5km of BG800 on behalf of Kier Highways, in conjunction with Arbus Fencing.
BG800 barrier was chosen as the temporary VRS for the project, in part, due to its reduced fixing points.
The installation specification of BG800 temporary barrier also resulted in the saving of valuable project time, with Arbus Fencing not having to black out the existing white lines and stud the road. This in turn decreased disruption and inconvenience to the public, by reducing the time required to close the road and allow installation of the temporary barrier and a reduction in noise exposure to locals.
BG800 also allowed for suitable access and egress to the works, as the site spanned over 1km of highway on either carriageway.
A major challenge on the A309 project that the operational delivery services team overcame, was situating BG800 barrier to avoid the numerous existing services, whilst maintaining the necessary protection to the workforce.
The customer view
Luke Roberts, Contract Manager at Arbus Fencing, said: “We have a healthy relationship with Highway Care, which allows us to openly discuss the requirements of every project. This includes the inevitable pitfalls that present themselves when compromising for external factors of the works, allowing for solutions to be clearly agreed ahead of installation.
“Highway Care stakeholder engagement is second to none, from sales, to technical assistance, to aftercare, across all levels of the business. Highway Care are always willing to join meetings with clients before project commencement and provide senior members of staff during and following installation.
Safety Health Environment and Quality and the operatives site conduct is excellent, you can tell the Operational Delivery Services team really know what they are doing. Working swiftly but never compromising safety.”
Andrew Osborne, Project Supervisor, Kier Services, Highway Services, added: “This was a particularly complex project, due to the install taking place on a long stretch of busy road, where only a single night closure was possible. There were numerous access locations required to stay running, including emergency services.
“Additionally, there were a host of hidden existing services to be avoided. We were pleased Arbus chose to work with Highway Care on this installation, due to their professionalism in both the commercial and operational delivery sense. Highway Care always go the extra mile to ensure each project is fully understood, solutions designed, objectives are met, and projects are completed as efficiently as possible. The engineering and customer service team are always fully supportive of our requirements and assist with any potential issues, professionally and promptly.”