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Maximum Value and Minimum Disruption – How Infrastructure Interventions Should be Managed

Nobody likes roadworks or disruptions to the transport infrastructure. They cause delays and inconvenience, which are never going to be popular. This is easier to accept when there’s a clear benefit from the intervention or, at least, a concerted effort to minimise the frequency and the disruption caused.
Uncoordinated interventions also waste resources and budget, which is something no asset owner or operator can afford.

Single sourced framework agreements should create the structure that delivers better long term value and achieves the following:

  • Minimal ad-hoc interventions and disruptions to the highway users.
  • Better use of highway capacity.
  • Reduced impact of works on local communities, highways users or any intersecting or adjacent infrastructure.
  • A balance between cost and number of interventions to the highway assets.
  • Better decision making through comprehensive and accurate asset condition data.

Delivering these benefits requires a broader, strategic approach that encompasses the entire asset community. Frameworks have to be successful in shifting the thinking from a project based approach to thinking and planning in which the long-term interests of asset owners, users and affected communities are paramount.

The reason that this isn’t routinely the experience is that these objectives are hard (but far from impossible) to achieve. Here are a few of the things you need in order to get there:

  • A supplier and subcontractor community that is demonstrably committed to collaboration and innovation.
  • Transparency and alignment with local strategic transport plans.
  • Tools that support collaborative planning and help to de-conflict related projects.
  • A whole life, programme led approach.
  • Clear programme KPIs and simple processes for regular reporting.
  • A methodical approach to risk management.

Above all, you need a coordinated approach to managing and maximising the availability of road space to meet the needs of all stakeholders.

Any potential framework partner needs to have comprehensive and fully thought-through answers to each of these challenges. Only then will the experience for owners and users of the infrastructure likely to be noticeably better.

Find out more by visiting Highways learning pages on our website.

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