Skip to main content

Connect Plus joins Highways Agency’s plea to drivers to take care through road works

Connect Plus, the design, build, finance and operating company for southern England’s M25 and its adjoining trunk routes, last week joined with the Highways Agency to convey vital messages to drivers passing through road works. The company, a joint venture consisting of Balfour Beatty, Skanska, Atkins and Egis Projects SA, was participating in the Highways Agency Road Worker Safety Week (21-28 October), which aimed to get across to the public some of the dangers road workers face in their work close to fas
October 30, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Connect Plus staff with members of the public at South Mimms services during the UK’s Road Safety Week

Connect Plus, the design, build, finance and operating company for southern England’s M25 and ITS adjoining trunk routes, last week joined with the 2309 Highways Agency to convey vital messages to drivers passing through road works.

The company, a joint venture consisting of 1146 Balfour Beatty, 2296 Skanska, 3005 Atkins and 2376 EGIS Projects SA, was participating in the Highways Agency Road Worker Safety Week (21-28 October), which aimed to get across to the public some of the dangers road workers face in their work close to fast moving traffic. In the last three years, eight road workers have lost their lives in accidents at the UK roadside.

Connect Plus, which maintains the M25 and employs over 200 road workers, held an information session at Cobham Services where the public were able to view the latest awareness videos about road worker safety and talk to road workers about some of the dangers they face.  A similar session was held at South Mimms services.  

Connect Plus has been working with the Highways Agency and ITS supply chain partners to reduce the risks road workers face, including trialling systems to reduce live carriageway crossings (one of the greatest risks for road workers) by nearly half, as well as introducing vehicles which offer greater protection from collisions.

To support Road Worker Safety Week, Connect Plus also jointly funded the first ever national road worker safety radio campaign, ‘Take Extra Care’, which is being broadcast until 2 November and features three hard-hitting messages focusing on the lack of awareness of some drivers of road workers.

Tim Jones, chief executive of Connect Plus, said,  “Some drivers still find it acceptable to put road workers’ lives in danger by not taking enough care when they pass through road works and this can have tragic consequences.

“Our road workers deserve to work in an environment as safe as that of any other and we fully support the Highways Agency’s campaign to increase awareness among motorists of the need to respect road works.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Samoter exhibition in Italy rescheduled
    March 16, 2020

    The joint Samoter and Asphaltica exhibition in Verona has now been rescheduled and will be run from 21st – 25th October.
     
    The two trade shows at Veronafiere dedicated to construction equipment and the bitumen & road infrastructure sector were scheduled to be held in Verona 16th – 20th May. These will be run together with ICCX Southern Europe, the precast exhibition-conference and alongside Oil&nonOil, the energy, fuel and mobility services trade fair.

  • Highways Agency appoints firms to consider A27 bypass options
    December 15, 2014
    The Highways Agency in the UK has appointed a joint venture between Mott MacDonald and Grontmij to analyse various options for upgrades to the A27 Chichester Bypass. The aim of this project is to improve traffic flow and relieve congestion. The bypass is a 5km dual carriageway with five roundabouts and one signal control junction. It provides a key east-west transport link along the south coast of England. This connects Brighton, Worthing, Chichester, Portsmouth, Southampton. It currently suffers from heavy
  • Mersey Gateway shortlist revealed
    March 14, 2012
    The shortlist of three bidders for the US$942million (£600m) plus Mersey Gateway Project in North West England has been revealed.
  • HighwaysUK event being held in London
    November 9, 2015
    Highways planning in England is at a historic turning point. That is the message that former transport minister Steve Norris will be bringing to the HighwaysUK conference at ExCel London, 25-26 November. Norris speaks from a position of some experience having worked at the highest levels in both the public and private transport sectors. He is in no doubt that the recent shake up that has transformed the Highways Agency into Highways England is the start of a new era. He said, “It’s not just a badge chang