| | VolkerHighways |
| | Berkshire |
| | Apr 2017 |
| | Mar 2022 |
As a trusted contractor, VGC has undertaken a number of projects for VolkerHighways. Works in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead are among the most high profile.
When the royal wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle was announced, planned maintenance around Windsor was brought forward. Our teams smoothed the natural and artificial stone paving on all the routes to Windsor Castle to avoid trip hazards.
They upgraded junctions and installed traffic calming measures, including renewing tactile paving at junctions for people who are partially sighted.
Hostile vehicle measures
In Windsor, our teams built the footings for hostile vehicle measures (HVM) – gates which can swing shut if necessary. The requirement was for something that looks decorative but is almost impossible to drive through. We dug deep foundations under the footway and reinstated seamlessly. A single slab was left loose for the gate installation, and then fixed in place once the gate contractor had installed the superstructure.
Our teams built planters and installed benches so the HVM project has created an attractive feature in the town.
In Eton, our teams carried out
- footpath resurfacing
- drainage, ducting and manholes
- upgrading traffic signals
- landscaping, kerb laying and paving
Keeping everyone safe
Throughout our works, we carefully manage the interface with local residents and the public. Our work often involves pedestrian diversions and closure of traffic lanes, which risks frustrating local people. Our effective planning and sensitive liaison with local residents and businesses mean we cause minimal disruption. We use fencing and signage to ensure people understand and follow the safest routes around the worksites.
Unfortunately we often come across services which have not been installed to industry standards. Additions and ad hoc repairs to cables and utilities mean that services are not always located as charted, or installed at the correct depth. Consequently, drawings are out of date, and this considerably increases the risk of cable strikes. We have invested in the latest developments in digital cable avoidance technology to mitigate these risks. In addition, we run a stringent permit-to-break-ground system, including daily checklists and daily reviews to keep the risks to the minimum.
After the May 2018 royal wedding, the traffic systems engineer for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead thanked us for
doing a top job out there – you’ve been really helpful.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead awarded VolkerHighways a £5.5 million per year highways term management and maintenance contract in February 2017. The contract includes planned, reactive and emergency response maintenance, winter maintenance, gully cleansing and small highways schemes.
We have carried out a number of projects for VolkerHighways, including the works in Windsor and Eton above, Maidenhead phase 2, and Maidenhead phase 3.
