Lower Drayton Farm

Client: Staffordshire County Council

Location: Lower Drayton Lane, Penkridge

Date: May – July 2023

Value: £387k

Scope of Work:

This was a Section 278 highway improvement scheme for Staffordshire CC that involved the reconstruction and widening of the existing carriageway to improve access along with the construction of a new junction with the A449 and associated drainage and service diversion works. Delivered over a 10 week period this particular project presented a number of logistical challenges with respect to access as the highway served residential properties, a farm and play barn, a bus depot and a sewerage treatment works.

Before commencing work we met with all of the affected stakeholders in order to understand their access requirements and this enabled us to formulate our traffic management and work phasing plans. The works were phased into three work areas to enable us to maintain access whilst we undertook the construction work and in order to overcome the access challenges, we employed a traffic management contractor to escort traffic through the works area to control speed and protect the safety of our workforce. To facilitate the safe passage of buses and agricultural vehicles temporary passing areas were also constructed with granular material to widen the carriageway at pinch points.