Constructing a dynamic hard shoulder along the M6

Project summary

RSK Group company CR Civil Engineering worked on providing new emergency refuge areas along the M6 smart motorway.

The background

Emergency refuge areas (ERA) are vital for the safety of road users. With this in mind, National Highways is actioning drivers’ concerns about being able to find a safe place to stop in an emergency on ‘all lane running’ smart motorways without a permanent hard shoulder. In November 2022, CR Civil Engineering began construction of the new safety barrier for the verge emergency access areas with a scope of works of predominately earthworks and drainage. Working with its client, the Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and BAM Nuttall joint venture (bmJV), the team was contacted to upgrade the central reservation area, to undertake drainage realignments and to retrofit new ERAs for the Smart Motorways Programme (SMP) Alliance for National Highways. As of July 2023, three new ERAs have been completed, with six more planned for the future along the M6 corridor.

The challenges

Owing to the scale of the project, the team had to navigate working in a busy environment while collaborating with other contractors in a constantly evolving programme and locations. They also had to work with a large number of design challenges and site constraints. Phase 1 included upgrades to the central reservation, with a push for the construction to be completed in time for the Commonwealth Games.

The solutions

To best mitigate the challenges, the team prioritised collaboration during the project. As early as the preconstruction phase, CR Civil Engineering workshopped the different elements of the project, focusing on ensuring the efficient delivery and practicability of each phase, as well as providing quantity accuracy, all before finalisation of the order. The team worked to reach the deadline of the Commonwealth Games through robust collaboration with the client and supply chain.

The impacts

Thanks to reviews and collaboration on the project, CR Civil Engineering was able to complete the work on time, on target and to programme requirements in time for the Commonwealth Games. The construction was staggered into phases, with upgrades taking place on the central reservation, verges and hard shoulder. The M6 junction 4–5 dynamic hard shoulder project finished in June 2023, with a final account value of £2.4 million.

Because of the high level of work produced, CR Civil Engineering won the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) West Midlands 2023 Collaboration Award, nominated by bmJV. The team also won a number of awards following this at bmJV’s Workplace Recognition Awards.