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Bristol Gets a Grip on Manhole Covers and Motorcycle Parking
The centre of Bristol is currently embarking on a major reconfiguration to its inner circuit road to accommodate the construction of a £500m shopping centre expansion.
The safety audit carried out on the new (up to 10 lane) carriageways called for the use of anti-skid manhole covers.
Whilst British Standard utility covers are classed as anti-skid by virtue of the covers being castellated, two wheeled vehicles in particular can loose grip and skid when crossing these covers.
A new EN124 standard is due to come into force in 2 years time which will require a higher standard of skid resistance on utility covers.
This is likely to take the form of fine 'sharp' hard wearing stone of a similar nature to that used on areas approaching pedestrian crossings and hazardous bends.
The normal slippery castellated manhole cover surface will hopefully become a thing of the past.
Bristol City Council, the Broadmead Alliance and St Gobain Pipelines with support from Hoare Lea and Capita Symonds Consulting Engineers and utility companies have taken the initiative of 'trialing' this type of cover 'en mass' throughout the new highways.
The covers will be produced in factory controlled conditions and even colour matched to the adjacent road surfaces!
Both cycling and motorcycling are encouraged in Bristol to help ease congestion and parking issues in this busy city.
Powered two wheelers (PTW's) are allowed to use bus lanes and cycling provision has been made both in the form of shared footway surfaces and advisory cycle lanes.
Utility covers have always given the users of two wheeled transport heart stopping moments when wet (usually on a bend!).
The designers have not only introduced this new type of cover but have additionally been mindful of the 'desire lines' of two wheeled traffic and endeavoured, wherever possible to locate covers away from bends, outside of riders wheel tracks and areas where heavy braking is likely; however in a city centre environment with a multitude of utilities in the highway, it has not always been possible to locate every cover outside these high risk areas.
The covers are to be utilised throughout the works as the risk of loosing grip on utility covers is present for two wheeled vehicles even in low risk areas on straights and areas where heavy braking would not normally be expected.
New motorcycle parking areas are also to be provided, the design of which will be in accordance with the recently published guidance given within the Institute of Highway and Incorporated Engineers Guidelines for Motorcycling.
Construction of the new carriageways is commencing imminently.
We hope that by the end of next summer the new road surfaces will be in place complete with new non shiney manhole covers!
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