Highways

The UK road network is a key economic asset but it is threatened by lack of capacity. Our innovative approach can help our clients to use the network more efficiently.

Roads carry over 80% of all passenger and freight movement in the UK. Despite local and national government efforts to shift as much movement as possible to public transport, highways will remain the dominant UK transport mode for the foreseeable future.

Demand for road improvement will continue to outpace the rate as which new capacity can be supplied. Consequently, management of existing capacity will play a central role in highway strategy.

Future development and management of the national highways network is likely therefore to revolve around three broad themes: protecting the asset as economically as possible, managing existing capacity in a more effective manner and, only when necessary, creating additional new capacity. In each of these areas, we have a reputation and capability which matches the best.

For example, we have been at the forefront of efforts to develop the concept of ‘smart’ highways, capable of managing demand automatically or with minimal human involvement. Ideas that we have pioneered have included ramp metering, lane marshalling, speed control and hard shoulder running. We also assess the full environmental implications for any proposed strategy options.

We have also developed techniques based on real-time information which are now commonly used to influence travel behaviour. In particular, we contributed to the initial strategy for the Highways Agency Regional Control Centres and continue to provide a range of services in these areas.

Integrated traffic demand management, pioneered by Faber Maunsell, combines a menu of  different individual techniques into bespoke combined solutions for each location.  Such approaches seek to ration access to the network when necessary, create additional capacity from improved management of traffic and resolve localised capacity problems where their impact can have a disproportionate impact on much larger areas of the network.  The approach also employs sophisticated simulation modelling techniques to ensure that each combination of measures can be thoroughly tested and optimised regardless of the combination of measures employed.

For the foreseeable future, road will remain the principal transport mode for both private and freight traffic. The techniques necessary to support network performance and personal or business accessibility under the increasing demands which will prevail will continue to test the ingenuity of engineers and planners.  Faber Maunsell is well equipped to face these challenges.