The line removal work was completed eight times more quickly than if it had been done manually

A genuine 'win-win'

A new, more logical approach to carrying out vital route enhancements to improve safety has minimised disruption for the travelling public and saved time and money for Norfolk County Council.

The Norfolk Strategic Partnership (NSP) between May Gurney, Norfolk County Council and Mott MacDonald was tasked with carrying out improvements at 70 mini sites on 12 main routes across the county. The works - to improve visibility and layout at junctions - included white line removal and replacement, red surfacing and re-studding.

Andrew Nicholson, NSP's Supply Chain Works Manager, explains: "In the past each of these routes would have been treated as a separate job. But this time round we viewed them as a single countywide programme."

" This was a genuine win-win situation "

Andrew Nicholson, NSP

Traditionally white line removal is carried out manually, which is laboriously time consuming. The process can be carried out mechanically but the specialised equipment required is expensive and has to be hired in from another part of the UK.

"By planning a continuous flow of work we were able to justify mechanical removal," Andrew Nicholson adds. "As a result we estimate we completed the line removal work eight times more quickly than if it had been done manually."

The big winners were the people using the 12 roads where the work took place. The disruption, inconvenience and frustration usually associated with road works were minimised.

And by carrying out the work in a more organised and efficient way, Norfolk County Council's image and reputation will have been enhanced among the county's population.

Andrew Nicholson summarised: "This was a genuine win-win situation. The travelling public benefited, the council's reputation was enhanced, we saved the council money by completing the work more quickly - and we made life easier for our supply chain partners by providing them with a continuous flow of work."

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