News

Connect Plus and CPS finalists in British Construction Industry Awards 2024

We’re thrilled to announce that Connect Plus and CPS have been shortlisted in the British Construction Industry Awards ‘Digital Initiative of the Year’ category – which recognises projects that are driving the use of smart technologies, to improve design, delivery, or safety.

Our finalist entry celebrates our work with Alchera Technologies to extend working windows on the M25. Alchera is revolutionising M25 road maintenance by enabling Connect Plus and CPS to identify and safely extend work periods, maximising each closure's output.

By combining predicted traffic flows with real-time PayMech charges (charges payable where work is undertaken outside permitted hours), Alchera helps planners decide whether it is safe - and financially viable - to extend working windows to complete more work in a single shift, lowering the total number of closures.

This will improve journey experiences, for the daily 300,000 M25 users and surrounding communities, by delivering more efficient, less disruptive maintenance work.

Currently, over 95% of our work is delivered within ‘permitted hours’, from 22:00 to 05:00. However, work undertaken outside this window is constrained by traffic flow rate and PayMech. The Alchera tool is designed to maximise the output on every closure, by identifying opportunities to safely extend start and end times.

We have now completed successful trials on parts of the M25 network, to extend working windows based on traffic flow data, and a full rollout is now underway with data available for the entire network.

We’re proud to reach the finalist stage of these prestigious industry awards and wish everyone the best of luck for the awards being held on 9th October 2024.

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Notes to Editors

About Connect Plus and Connect Plus Services

  • Over 10 years ago, Highways England awarded Connect Plus the contract to operate and manage the M25 and its key arterial link roads.
  • Connect Plus is a consortium that includes Edge Orbital Holdings Ltd, Balfour Beatty and Egis Road Operation UK - a unique partnership with a collective strength in highways maintenance and management.
  • Connect Plus Services (CPS), is Connect Plus’ specialist and strategic supply chain partner responsible for operations and maintenance, bringing together the collective strength and expertise of its parent companies, Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Road Operation UK.
  • With a workforce of around 600 people, based at seven locations around the network, CPS carries out routine maintenance, and whole-life management of thousands of M25 assets. CPS manages the operation of the network 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including a severe weather season maintenance programme.
  • Over the past 10 years, collectively we’ve delivered over £1.4bn worth of road improvements and junction enhancements, and we’re continually exploring new and innovative ways to deliver safer, more reliable journeys for our customers. Together, we’re passionate about delivering the long-term needs of the M25 and improving the driving experience for all our customers.
  • For further information please visit https://www.connectplusm25.co.uk/ or follow us at https://twitter.com/cpservices_m25