Mobile Road Works
Some road works can be carried out without the need for road closures or major traffic management schemes. The area of work is protected by a large stationary or slow-moving vehicle with a sign mounted on the back.
On single carriageway urban roads with a speed limit of 30 mph or less, the works will always be on the near side in the direction of travel. A "keep right" sign will be mounted on the back of the works vehicle or the vehicle protecting the works. There may also be a "keep left" sign on the front of the vehicle to be viewed by traffic travelling in the opposite direction. Additional static "road works ahead" signs may be placed at the side of the road and may include a distance plate such as "For 1 mile" or "Grass cutting for 1 mile". There may also be "road narrows on the left" signs. The vehicle will usually have flashing lamps on its roof. The type of work likely to be carried out includes grass cutting, weed spraying and gully emptying. On some busy roads, traffic may also be controlled by "STOP/GO" boards
On motorways and dual carriageway roads, mobile lane closures may be introduced on either the left-hand or right-hand side of the carriageway. More than one vehicle will be used to protect the lane closure. All signs will have flashing amber lamps. A light arrow may supplement the white-on-blue "keep right" or "keep left" arrow, and flash alternately with the amber lamps at the top.
On single carriageway roads with a speed limit of 40 mph or more, the "keep right" sign on the back of the works vehicle or the vehicle protecting the works includes flashing amber lamps. These lamps flash in pairs from top to bottom.
On the approach to mobile works on a motorway or dual carriageway road, vehicles with signs indicating the lanes that are closed will be on the hard shoulder or at the side of the carriageway. The type of work undertaken includes line painting, minor repairs and setting out static road works signs.
Mobile carriageway closures may be used to convoy traffic when it is necessary to hold traffic back while cones and signs arem oved to change a temporary contra-flow system, or perhaps to remove an overhead cable. All lanes on the carriageway will be closed, but traffic will move slowly forward, over a distance of several miles, on the approach to the area where the work is being undertaken. By the time the convoy reaches this area, the works should have been completed, traffic will be allowed to increase its speed and traffic lanes will be opened. The convoy vehicles will have a large red cross and red lamps flashing in vertical pairs.