In recent spells of adverse weather, road networks in England and Wales have been severely affected. Conditions worsened quickly causing gridlock on roads up and down the country.
Traffic Managers have a duty to secure the expeditious movement of traffic on an authority’s road network and facilitating this on other authorities’ road networks.
While highway authorities have an absolute duty, under section 41(1) of the Highways Act 1980, to keep the fabric of the highway in a good state of repair, the duty does not extend to the prevention or removal of the accumulation of ice and snow on the road. That was the ruling in a landmark interpretation of highway legislation by the House of Lords in June 2000 following the case of Goodes v. East Sussex County Council. Despite this, local authorities generally have not changed their winter service arrangements and continue to carry out precautionary/post-salting and snow clearance activities. The purpose of this is to minimise the loss of life and injury to highway users and damage to vehicles and other property[1].
This section of the website considers the information available for Local Authorities, the Highways Agency and Transport Scotland to accommodate for adequate recovery times on the road network. This section also provides information on the role and/or responsibility of other parties (such as the emergency services and utility companies) during periods of adverse weather.
ICE Municipal Journal – related articles
Previous papers written for and published by the ICE, include: Winter Maintenance – How to Avert the Emergency (Kent, J.D. 2002). This paper looks at two case studies where winter emergencies are averted by early closure of the road to traffic, and then considers whether these principles are relevant in a wider context. The paper questions whether the public attitude towards travelling in severe winter conditions is a major cause of disruption and discusses how this attitude can be changed.
Other useful journal articles include: The Municipal Engineer’s Role in Winter Emergencies (Lott, P; Stephens, M. 2002). Written in 2002, the journal article describes the policies of Kent County Council (KCC), who budget for 60 complete salting runs each year with no allocation for snow or ice clearance. Only when snow or ice is more than 50mm deep, or ice remains for more than a couple of days, does KCC declare a ‘snow or ice emergency’. The management of such emergencies can stretch the council’s resources when other parts of the country treat them as routine occurrences. The paper describes briefly how KCC plans for winter salting and snow clearance and the decision process it has in place for taking action.
Urban Traffic Management Control
Urban Traffic Management Control (UTMC) is a UK-based initiative which has developed an open technical framework for traffic and transport management systems. It is overseen by a community group (the “UTMC Development group”, UDG) which represents local and national highways authorities, systems suppliers, and central Government.
Launched in 1997, the UTMC programme was the UK Department for Transport (DfT) main initiative for the development of a more open approach to Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in urban areas. Prior to UTMC, ITS systems were bespoke: designed and manufactured using proprietary specifications owned and favoured by particular suppliers. The result was a fragmented market in which it was difficult and expensive to get different suppliers’ systems to work together. UTMC standards therefore:
- Allow different traffic management and control tools and data sources to exchange information using a commonly understood language. This facility makes UTMC-compliant systems interoperable with minimal effort.
- Allow the information from different traffic management tools to be brought together (typically in a “common database”), enabling the whole system to give greater value than the sum of the individual parts.
- Creates a more open and competitive market for implementers with wider choice of systems and suppliers.
During the first three years, a number of research projects were undertaken to establish and validate an approach based on modular systems and open standards. These have contributed to the UTMC Technical Specifications, which define UTMC standards. The UTMC Technical Specification consists of two principal documents:
The Specifications and Standards Group (S&SG) of the UTMC Development Group (UDG) is responsible for the management and maintenance of the UTMC Technical Specifications. The Technical Specification is updated, normally annually, through a documented consultation and approval process. Changes may be submitted by anyone, but most arise as a result of specific working group activities set up within UTMC. Further details are available via the UTMC website.
Responding to adverse weather on the Highway
Any incident resulting in the obstruction or partial obstruction of a carriageway is likely to need Traffic Management (TM). As the severity and duration of the incident increases so does the amount of TM required and the standard it is laid to.
In the operation and maintenance of highway networks, it is necessary from time to time to put in place temporary traffic management measures to facilitate safe road works, temporary closures or incident management, whilst keeping the traffic flowing as freely as possible. With high traffic flows on many roads, it is particularly important to plan all works activities and temporary closures to optimise safety, road space and work efficiency, whilst minimising road user congestion, delay and inconvenience[2].
Chapter 8 of the DfT’s Traffic Signs Manual provides details of the Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Road Works and Temporary Situations. Part 2: Operations, provides guidance for those responsible for planning, managing, and participating in operations to implement, maintain and remove temporary traffic management arrangements. This document is especially useful for handling adverse weather conditions on the roads and contains advice relating to good working practice spanning all aspects of temporary traffic management operations from broad management issues to issues involving the activities of individual operatives.
Electronic message signs
There are nearly 3,000 electronic message signs around England's trunk road and motorway network. The signs are officially called 'variable message signs', because they can change the message they display depending on conditions. They show, for example:
- accidents and emergencies ahead
- congestion and alternative routes
- journey time messages based on traffic conditions
- roadworks
- current and future events that may cause delays
Diversion routes if the motorway is closed
If a motorway or trunk road is closed for any reason, you may be diverted on to an alternative route. Planned diversions are usually publicised well in advance and clearly signposted on overhead electronic message signs and roadside signs. Unplanned diversions are usually caused by traffic accidents. Sometimes, you will be asked to leave the road without a clear alternative route being marked.
To help you find your way during unplanned diversions, alternative routes have been provided around motorways and trunk roads. These are clearly marked with diversion signs, showing a black shape symbol on a yellow background. If you’re diverted off a road or a motorway, you should follow the same symbol signs along your diversion route. As some roads form part of more than one diversion route, it’s important that you follow the same-shaped symbol. The signs will lead you back to the motorway or road you were travelling on at a point further on.
The role of the Emergency Services and liaison with Highway Authorities
Every day emergencies on the highways network are normally dealt with by either the police, other emergency services or traffic officers (if appropriate). If they do not last more than a few hours, as in the case of a vehicle breakdown or an accident on the carriageway, the police or traffic officers will erect the necessary temporary signs.
However, if the effects of the emergency last for a longer duration (e.g. when a damaged length of road surface has to be replaced following a vehicle fire), the police or traffic officers will request that the Highway Authority or its maintaining agents take over and erect signs in accordance with the recommendations of Traffic Signs Manual: Chapter 8 – Part 1: Design. Should an emergency occur within a section of carriageway already subject to restrictions as a result of road works, the police may request the site personnel to erect or alter signing. It is recommended that the police consult with either the person responsible for the traffic management on the site or a person competent in temporary traffic management before issuing any instructions to change signing.
For incident control, whilst it is not possible to predict the timing and precise location of incidents, the DfT advises that highway operators should prepare generic plans and procedures to deal with any foreseeable scenarios which are liable to arise from incident situations. Generic plans should take account of previous incidents and works occurring on the network including emergency street works and road traffic accidents. Incident management plans and procedures should take account of all road users likely to be affected by both the incident and the management of that incident. In emergency situations it may not always be possible to account for the needs of vulnerable road users (including the physically and visually impaired), however consideration should be given to addressing their needs in the event that such a situation continues for an appreciable length of time4.
Section 7 of the Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Road Works and Temporary Situations Part 2: Operations provides good detail of planning for emergency situations which can be applied to handling emergencies involving adverse weather situations.
The Network Maintenance Manual (NMM)
This Network Management Manual (NMM) replaces Volumes 1 and 3 of the Trunk Road Maintenance Manual. It provides advice, some mandatory instruction and guidance on good practice for the management and provision of the routine and winter service on the trunk road network. It generally describes the processes for the management of the maintenance service including the interface between the Highways Agency, its service providers and other stakeholders.
The performance requirements for routine and winter service activities on the trunk road network are included in the Routine and Winter Service Code, referred to as "the Code", which is a replacement for Volume 2 of the Trunk Road Maintenance Manual. The Network Management Manual, which together with the Code, provides advice and guidance to enable the Service Provider to achieve the performance requirements.
[1] The municipal engineer’s role in winter emergencies (2002). Lott, P; Stephens, M. ICE: Municipal Engineer 151. December 2002 Issue 4: Pages 271-273;
[2] Traffic Signs Manual: Chapter 8 – Traffic Safety Measures and Signs for Road Works and Temporary Situations. (2009). Department for Transport
Scotland
Trunk Road Network
As the trunk road authority in Scotland, legislation requires Transport Scotland to take such steps as it considers reasonable to prevent snow and ice endangering the safe passage of pedestrians and vehicles over public roads.
Transport Scotland discharges this duty by having contracts in place with Operating Companies who ensure the trunk road network is safe, efficient and well managed.
Each trunk road maintenance contract details the requirements placed upon the Operating Companies for Winter Service Operations between 1 October and 15 May each year.
Local Road Network
Scotland's 32 local authorities are responsible for the maintenance and safe operation of Scotland's local road network.
Each local authority is responsible for all aspects of the non-trunk road network within their jurisdiction, including Winter Service Operations. This includes all footways, footpaths and cycle tracks not in private ownership.
The development department of your local authority is responsible for the management of traffic and parking. Its powers include:
- setting speed limits;
- imposing traffic calming measures, for example, road humps, islands, chicanes and rumble strips;
- establishing permanent or temporary parking restrictions.
While each road authority will require to prioritise the treatment of their networks, mutual aid is offered with Transport Scotland, when possible. This includes the sharing of plant, facilities, labour and salt.