Collaborative working a win for local residents

Hounslow Highways is ensuring improvement works in the borough are more efficient and less disruptive to residents and road users through collaborative working agreements.

Hounslow Highways is ensuring improvement works in the borough are more efficient and less disruptive to residents and road users through collaborative working agreements.

The highways provider is partnering up with utility companies to share road space and carry out works at the same time to minimise disruption to residents and businesses. It means roads will be closed less often and public money saved when carrying out repairs and changes to the network.

Hounslow Highways has also agreed to replace ironworks such as manhole covers on behalf of Thames Water when carrying out road surfacing schemes in order to avoid repeat visits to the same location with associated road closures.

Hounslow Highways Service Director Rob Gillespie said: “Joining up with other organisations and the work they do is more efficient for the utility companies, more efficient for Hounslow Highways, and it is a win for local residents. Any way to reduce disruption to residents while our huge programme of works takes place is a positive move. Given that we are carrying out works on 85% of the borough’s roads, 75% of the footpaths and 16,000 street lights in the next five years, it is important we work together.”

Cllr Colin Ellar said: “I am glad to see Hounslow Highways taking a lead and coordinating road works with utilities. This is good news for residents and motorists who get caught up in traffic caused by uncoordinated road works.”

This collaborative approach was demonstrated last week when Cappagh Browne, a contractor for Thames Water, carried out footpath reinstatement works under a closure for street lighting installations in Hibernia Road.