What's New?

New 'Chapter 8' gives clearer, updated advice to make road works safer

Updated guidelines for highways maintenance engineers and contractors to make temporary traffic management at road works safer and more effective have now been published.

Revisions to Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual have been taking place over the past two and a half years as Highways England seeks to make road works safer and less stressful for both road users and road workers.

The previous version was published in June 2006 and the "continuous improvement project" commenced in November that year to look at areas where a requirement for improvements or clarification in the guidance had been identified by operatives working with the document on a day-to-day basis. The revised guidelines aim to increase safety and reduce congestion at road works.

Chapter 8 gives guidance on best practice for temporary signing and management of traffic on the highway. Updates include revisions to the requirements for signage for road users experiencing emergencies (such as vehicle breakdowns) in roadworks, part-time or short-term contra-flow permissions (where, subject to a risk assessment, single lane crossover may now be permitted, enabling part time or short term contra-flows to be operated), and expansions to the scope of the guidance (such as new sections on works near tramways).

Highways England works closely with the Department for Transport, the Health and Safety Executive, CSS, breakdown recovery services and key members of the road traffic management industry in revising Chapter 8.

The guidance is recommended to everyone associated with temporary traffic management for construction, maintenance or utility work, and has now been updated to ensure its continuing applicability in today's traffic conditions.

 For more information please visit the DfT website: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tss/tsmanual/