Highways England launches Maintenance Assistance Vehicle - MAV

Highways England has developed a vehicle to help replace overhead highway signs that it says will reduce the need to close lanes and roads during work The vehicle uses a hydraulic scissor lift similar to that seen on catering vehicles that load food into the hold of airplanes at airports. Traditionally, signs are taken down and installed using a flatbed truck, crane and cherry picker, taking up to 40 minutes. However, the Maintenance Assistance Vehicle (MAV) can do this in around 20 to 25 minutes by usin
July 7, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Easier access with the MAV from Highways England
8100 Highways England has developed a vehicle to help replace overhead highway signs that it says will reduce the need to close lanes and roads during work

The vehicle uses a hydraulic scissor lift similar to that seen on catering vehicles that load food into the hold of airplanes at airports. Traditionally, signs are taken down and installed using a flatbed truck, crane and cherry picker, taking up to 40 minutes. However, the Maintenance Assistance Vehicle (MAV) can do this in around 20 to 25 minutes by using a small jib crane which is part of the vehicle.

Road workers have trialled the MAV and have had to shut down fewer lanes for the operation. Highways England said the device provides a safer environment for workers because they are standing on a sturdy platform.

Once the platform is raised to the required working height, the jib crane attaches to the sign on the gantry and lifts it off.  Operatives then detach the sign, place it onto a trolley on the platform and wheel it into the main compartment of the vehicle. The procedure is reversed when installing an electronic sign.

The hydraulically powered scissor lift enables the signs, which are often found on smart motorway gantries, to be serviced at heights of up to 8.5m and in wind speeds of up to nearly 50kph. CCTV cameras enable the MAV driver to park the vehicle in the correct place below the gantry before any maintenance takes place and monitor operatives working at the back.

Highways England said it is examining the best way for its contractors to purchase the machines. It is estimated that if the device were widely adopted it could save up to €5 million a year. Consideration is also being given as to whether it could be used to improve safety for other duties on England’s motorways and major A roads.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Biral showcases meteorological equipment at UK highways show
    January 6, 2017
    Meteorological specialist Biral recently exhibited its range of advanced weather and visibility sensors at the Highways Management Show in Coventry, UK Biral, set up in 1975, works with companies and organisations across all industries, including road and transportation, to deliver solutions to monitor visibility and local weather conditions as part of smart road systems and intelligent transport networks. Biral said that its VPF and SWS Visibility and Present Weather Sensors ranges are particularly benefic
    Read More
  • The UK’s A14 route is seeing a major upgrade
    June 14, 2018
    Work is progressing well on the project to upgrade the busy A14 route in the UK. A major milestone has been achieved with and important phase of the bridge installation having taken place. A 39m viaduct beam has been placed successfully for the bridge, which spans the River Ouse in Cambridgeshire. A key role in this work has been taken by the firm Cleveland Bridge UK. As part of Highways England’s £1.5 billion A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme, Cleveland Bridge was contracted by the A14 Integr
    Read More
  • Infrastructure stays strong on the road to recovery
    July 1, 2021
    After more than a year of uncertainty, the road industry is coming back stronger than ever before thanks to new ways of working and increased investment – because building new infrastructure lays the foundation for a more resilient and economically robust world.
    Read More
  • Bentley’s Be Inspired Awards highlight innovation in software use
    January 6, 2015
    Innovation, from design to on-site execution, is alive and well, thanks to a good helping of software application. David Arminas reports from software developer Bentley’s annual global conference, held this year in London Successful project delivery is increasingly about hard men and women using software to get the job done and this year’s global conference in London by US-based software developer Bentley highlighted some innovative - and startling - examples. As usual, the Year in Infrastructure 2014
    Read More

Highlighted Content