Skip to main content

Design contract awarded for M40 noise barriers

A new milestone in a project to develop innovative ways of reducing noise along the M40 has been reached, with the award of a design contract worth up to US$3 million. The contract will see WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff review sites along the M40 between junctions 3 and 8, which have been identified as areas where road noise is a particular issue and help decide where the barriers would be of benefit. Earlier this year, Highways England, working in partnership with the M40 Chiltern Environmental Group, (M40
November 17, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A new milestone in a project to develop innovative ways of reducing noise along the M40 has been reached, with the award of a design contract worth up to US$3 million.

The contract will see WSP 4089 Parsons Brinkerhoff review sites along the M40 between junctions 3 and 8, which have been identified as areas where road noise is a particular issue and help decide where the barriers would be of benefit.

Earlier this year, 8101 Highways England, working in partnership with the M40 Chiltern Environmental Group, (M40 CEG) Wycombe District Council and South Oxfordshire District Council, ran a competition to develop a range of cost-effective barriers to reduce noise.

Potential designs include using solar panels in the barriers to produce clean energy to help offset their installation and operating costs.

Six entries were shortlisted and WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff will now work with the designers of the shortlisted entries to trial these noise barriers at the identified sites on the M40. These designs may also be installed on other parts of England’s strategic road network in the future.
 
Subject to the successful completion of the site review and development of design solutions for each site identified, Highways England will aim to start preparatory work for construction on site in winter 2016-17. This trial is entirely funded by Highways England and the construction phase of the project is subject to funding.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Looking both ways for speeding vehicles
    June 9, 2015
    Single-camera bi-directional speed enforcement can reduce the cost of enforcing speeding on two-way roads without repositioning the camera. Truvelo has received UK type-approval for a simultaneous bi-directional (SBD) enforcement camera, the D-Cam P digital, which can capture speeding motorist both those travelling towards and away from the camera. It is also in the process of carrying out the first installations of the D-Cam P in the UK.
  • Thales builds on Canadian connection for transit R&D
    June 20, 2016
    The Canadian province of Ontario is continuing to benefit from its ongoing investment in transit R&D. David Crawford looks at the impact of new investment. Developing the next generation of urban rail signalling solutions worldwide, with the emphasis on transit security and efficiency, is the goal of a recently-created business partnership between the government of the Canadian province of Ontario and Thales Canada. The wholly-owned subsidiary of the France-HQ'd global defence, aerospace and transportation
  • Cheshire’s M6 to become smart motorway
    July 2, 2015
    Draft regulations to introduce variable mandatory speed limits as part of the planned smart motorway upgrade to 18 and a half miles of the M6 in Cheshire were published this week for consultation with key stakeholders. Highways England is planning to start construction work on the US$299 to US$427 million project between junction 16 at Crewe and junction 19 at Knutsford later this year. The hard shoulder will be converted into a permanent extra running lane and smart motorway technology installed to give
  • Glasgow installs Q-Free cycling safety system
    August 26, 2021
    Scottish city to use new HI-TRAC CMU detection solution and in-road sensors to boost bike safety