Highways – managing agent contractor

Halcrow has been helping the UK’s Highways Agency to ensure its network is operated and maintained to a high standard.

Video made in August 2010

Responsible for network management, design, construction, supervision, and technical and engineering advice, Halcrow is helping to reduce journey times and delays. The work is delivered through managing agent contractor (MAC) contracts, and Halcrow experts are working on four of these, covering different areas of the UK, through our joint ventures with Colas (A-one), and Colas and Costain (A-one+).

Innovations include the introduction of retriever motorcycles to attend broken-down vehicles, particularly effective on congested parts of the network. This attracted the Institution of Highways and Transportation/Ringway Award for Innovation 2009.

A revolutionary kerbing system made with plastic from recycled bottles is used at locations throughout the network. Each Durakerb, weighing just over 13lbs, can be laid without the need for machinery, giving health and safety and efficiency benefits in addition to reducing environmental impact.

Also, A-one+ has been involved in developing markers to show where overhead power lines cross the highway, helping road workers to avoid them in the dark, when much of the maintenance work is performed, ensuring a safe working environment.

Highways Magazine named A-one as Contractor of the Year at the Annual Excellence Awards 2008; the team also won the Institution of Highways and Transportation Health and Safety Award 2009.