Site Establishment

Traffic management

Site setup > Traffic management

📅

-8 weeks

Updated:

Contents:

The movements of any vehicles are a significant risk to all individuals visiting a project. These risks can be prevented by effective planning and management of both the access from the public highway to the site compound entrance and around the site compound.

Carefully managing vehicle and pedestrian movements into the site compound and around it will help ensure we protect our people, subcontractors and visitors to the site (Refer to car parking section).

(Refer to the SHEQ STD 02 Site standards handbook and the People Plant Interface section for traffic management around the permanent works).

General

The site establishment team must:

  • Identify the number of vehicle movements expected and types.
  • Complete dilapidation surveys (drainage, kerbs, running surface etc.) especially for existing roads and access ways (videos preferable to photos) and share and agree with the customer/landowner (Refer to pre-occupation and dilapidation site surveys section).

Accessing the site compound from the public highway

The site establishment team must:

  • Establish:
    • Any weight limit restrictions on local roads approaching the site compound. Some local roads have sections of weight limit restrictions on all or part of roads.
    • The speed of the public highway which vehicles will be turning from as this will influence any requirement for a bellmouth.
    • The width of the public highway.
    • The visibility distance from the proposed entrance/exit.
    • Can vehicles pull fully off the road without coming to a stop.
    • Is warning signage required.
    • Are there any footways/cycle paths adjacent to the road. Are pedestrians protected; can the footway be closed.
    • Is there street lighting and will this be disconnected; will temporary lighting be required.
    • Existing services in verge, e.g. gas pipes, drainage ditches etc./service diversions, will these need protecting.
    • Existing signs/street furniture/bus stops – will these need removing/covering/suspended.
    • Existing drainage set up and protection and the management of any potential surface water run off (Refer to site drainage section).
    • How vehicles will exit the site; cross carriageway? Left turn only?
    • Is the visibility length when exiting the site sufficient for the types of vehicles that will be attending the project.

The site establishment team should consider:

  • Planning conditions associated with access and egress times.
  • School times and peak traffic flows.

Site compound traffic management

The site establishment team must:

  • If a new access road is required, establish the required width and ensure appropriate permissions/consents have been sought from the landowner. This may include passing bays.
  • Ensure there is sufficient stacking room within the site at security, so vehicles do not stop on road, e.g. articulated lorries, multiple concrete wagons.
  • Set the security gate far enough back from carriageway so that vehicles do not block the road or accesses.
  • Set up a one way system or designated turning area within the site compound.
  • Ensure there is a plant laydown and collection area.
  • Ensure suitable work at height / access system is in place to facilitate safe offloading for heavy goods vehicles.
  • Identify if wheel washes will be required to keep muck off the public road and where these will be located.
  • Identify if a road sweeper is required and any subsequent signage. If working in green/brown field, road sweeper should be set up immediately until wheel wash can be established.
  • Segregate the car park and pedestrians from material/plant delivery areas (Refer to car parking section).
  • Consider delivery only access point.
  • Provide speed limits signage (11mph) or speed humps.

Reminder

Generally, the X distance is 2.4m for residential streets and 4.5m for major junctions, busy access roads or where the side road has a speed greater than 40mph etc. The greater distance of the splay might also apply for industrial roads. These distances might vary from highways authority to highways authority. Note that the Local Planning Authority (LPA) might not be the body that sets these. These distances might vary depending upon your local highway department. Check locally for variations for splays in these figures.

Local authority would advise on type of approval is required; this could be Section 184 which is generally when moderate modifications are required to an existing access. Section 278 application would be required for further improvements.

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