Drivers demand signs explaining road works

Contractors are being ordered to erect signs on roadworks explaining to passing motorists why they are digging up the highway.

AmeyMouchel and the Aone+ consortium will have to put-up signs  such as "replacing worn-out carriageway" so drivers know what they are doing.

Highways Agency engineers at the Area 10 and Area 13 teams offices in Manchester are behind the latest initiative.

A recent survey by the agency revealed that one of drivers’ regular complaints is not being told why roadworks are taking place along a stretch of road.

The new black-on-yellow signs will now be deployed within roadworks and use short phrases to let drivers know exactly why hard shoulders and lanes have been coned off.

Matt Sweeting, Regional Performance Manager in charge of the two area teams, said: "The Highways Agency already works very hard regionally and nationally to keep drivers informed about roadworks as well as incidents on the strategic road network. 

"But we also care about drivers’ views and they are telling us in surveys that one of their main concerns is the lack of information about hard shoulder and lane closures they see on the network.  Publicising the reasons we are doing work is not new for the Highways Agency but following drivers’ feedback we have decided to do a lot more of it within the works themselves.