Hardstaff Barriers maximises city bridge safety during reconstruction project

Hardstaff Barriers maximises city bridge safety during reconstruction project

Hardstaff Barriers is playing a major role in a two-year motorway bridge reconstruction project in Leeds which aims to improve safety and maintain traffic flow.

The A64 (M) Regent Street flyover, in the city centre, is undergoing a £30m upgrade programme which is expected to be completed in spring 2022.

As the leading UK manufacturer and supplier of vehicle restraint systems (VRS), Hardstaff Barriers was appointed to install various temporary safety barriers and security fencing along the road during the project.

Hardstaff deployed a combination of concrete and steel barriers, designed to protect construction teams from passing traffic while carrying out their work, as well as road users.

Together, the crash-tested barriers and fencing also minimise the risk of injury by preventing pedestrians from sitting on or climbing over the temporary barriers.

Originally built in the late 1960s, the bridge is being replaced with a new enhanced structure by Balfour Beatty for Leeds City Council, as part of the Connecting Leeds transport strategy, after suffering damage.

With an estimated 43,000 vehicles passing over it every day, the bridge plays a vital role in daily life in Leeds by carrying traffic on the city’s Inner Ring Road.

What we installed

• MASS – A steel barrier of 1.5 metres in length specially designed to self-stabilise when an errant vehicle drives onto the base units, helping to protect the workforce and road users.
• MASS Siteguard – This security fencing was attached to the top of MASS base units.
• Pedestrian Guard – This vandal-proof steel security fence was attached to the top of MASS base units.
• Multibloc – A temporary vertical concrete barrier (TVCB) of three metres in length used for workforce protection on roadways.
• Multibloc F – A surface-mounted barrier with EN1317 tested fence, providing protection against debris entering into the work area.

Wayne Bordoy, Senior Operations Manager, at Hardstaff Barriers, said: “It is a pleasure to be working with Premier Traffic Management on this very important project, which is vital in improving safety and keeping the traffic moving on this major route.

“We worked closely with the Premier Traffic Management team from the outset to ensure that the most suitable barrier products were selected.

“The safety of road workers and members of the public is a top priority in all highway projects, but it is paramount in a project of this scale.”