Mouchel helps Birmingham motorway box

Mouchel supports the Highways Agency in extending hard shoulder running around the Birmingham motorway box.

A GBP96m contract to install the technology that will allow the hard shoulder on parts of the motorway network around Birmingham to be opened to traffic during busy periods has been awarded to Carillion.

In October 2007, Mouchel was appointed as the Consultant to produce a detailed design and support the Highways Agency throughout a fast track design and procurement process.

Mouchel will continue in the role as Design Consultant through the construction phase and will provide the contract management and site supervision services to ensure the scheme is successfully delivered.

This comes less than a week after Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly announced a GBP6 billion investment programme to improve and make better use of motorways and other key roads.

As part of this a further 500 lane miles of English motorway are being considered for hard shoulder running.

With work expected to begin this Autumn, drivers will be able to start using the extra road space this will create from late 2009.

Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State said: "As people want to travel more we need to make the most of our road network - and that means using innovative measures to cut congestion and improve drivers' journeys".

""The trial on the M42 near Birmingham proved that techniques like hard shoulder running and variable speed limits are practical and cost-effective solutions so we were keen to roll them out to other motorways.

"Today's announcement marks the next important step in that process and will help drivers to beat traffic jams on more of the motorway network around Birmingham".

John Conquest, Mouchel Project Manager, said: "Mouchel has played a key role in achieving this important milestone and we look forward to working closely with the Highways Agency, Carillion and Stakeholders to make the scheme a success and ensure maximum benefits are provided to the travelling public".

"This scheme follows the success of Active Traffic Management Pilot Scheme on the M42 to the South East of Birmingham which uses the hard shoulder during busy periods (also managed by Mouchel)".

"Average weekday journey times fell by more than a quarter on the northbound carriageway and drivers' ability to predict their journey times increased by 27%".

"Safety on the road has also improved with the number of accidents decreasing from an average 5.1 a month to 1.8 a month.

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