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

  • A virtual virtuous circle
    January 18, 2021
    Virtual sensors will allow a safer driving experience and reduce road maintenance costs. Tactile Mobility’s Eitan Grosbard talks to David Arminas
    Read More
  • Road savvy WIM prolongs highways and saves nations vital cash
    May 28, 2013
    A leading WIM system manufacturer is playing a key role in efforts to reduce the number of overloaded trucks costing developing economies around the world billions of dollars in accidents and damage to roads, while another company has won a major contract in South America. Guy Woodford reports. The prevalence of overloaded trucks on the road networks of developing countries and the accidents and structural damage they cause wastes valuable, limited resources in some of the world’s poorest economies, diverti
    Read More
  • The use of concrete cutting tools and tips for users
    October 8, 2015
    Despite the proven importance of identifying metal targets and electrical lines before cutting into concrete, every day there are stories about mishaps that happen when the necessary reconnaissance is not done. In this article, a few firms that provide concrete scanning services weigh in on the critical importance of locating embedded and or buried obstructions by scanning for these features using ground penetrating radar (GPR). Also offered are tips for selecting the best GPR equipment and best practices f
    Read More
  • Young Driver Risk
    April 16, 2018
    Police in the US state of Ohio recently found themselves in a high-speed pursuit involving a vehicle taken without its owner’s consent. The chase lasted for around one hour and the vehicle hit speeds of up to 160km/h during the pursuit, which covered a distance of around 72km in all between Cleveland and Milan. Officers managed to box the car in and bring it to a halt, without anyone being injured. The driver was a 10-year-old boy who took his mother’s car, the second time that the lad had done this in just
    Read More

Highlighted Content