Planning roadworks on the public highway is rarely easy. First, a team must assess what the problem may be with the road. Does it need to be resurfaced? Is a cable being laid below the road surface, or is a road junction being modified? Once the problem is known, you must engage a team of experienced workers to complete the repair. However, you can't just tell the road workers to get on with it. There must be a traffic control plan to keep everyone safe while the works on the road are in progress.

What is a traffic control plan?

On every public road, there is always traffic. There may be different types of vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians travelling down the road. When the road is closed, all of that traffic must go somewhere. The traffic control plan will set out in detail how the traffic flow will be managed. There might be a detour established, or the traffic could be routed over part of the road surface that remains open. Some types of traffic may be dealt with in different ways, especially if some other routes cannot accommodate larger vehicles. The traffic control plan will protect the safety of all road users, as well as those working on road repair.

Following an established traffic control plan

Sometimes, the traffic control directions listed in the plan will be the same throughout the repair process, but that isn't always true. There are times when the measures will change as the road repair makes progress. Perhaps the work on the road will cover a long distance and different sections of the road will open and close at different times. Changing road closures will naturally impact side roads as well as any residents. All these changes must be covered in the traffic control plan. If any traffic is left to make an independent decision, the results for road safety could be catastrophic.

Implementing a traffic control plan

To ensure that road safety is always the paramount concern, it is best to bring in a company that specialises in creating traffic control plans. They will know how to create a plan that is simple to follow but ensures that nothing is missed that could lead to an accident. The team should also have access to the necessary equipment to turn their plan into a reality on the ground. They will ensure that their plan is followed correctly all the time the works are in progress. Their team will ensure that nothing is done that could endanger the lives of the workers or road users.

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