Pic: didbygraham, CC licence.
A free new service has been launched by the ELGIN roadworks.org website to help Councillors alert motorists to the estimated 1.7 million local roadworks in the UK, helping them avoid congestion and delays.
Roadworks Alerts provides details of local road works direct to mobile phones or as automated feeds to websites.
It is a new service from the ELGIN roadworks.org website – claimed to be the most comprehensive roadworks portal in the UK. It publishes up-to-the-minute information about local roadworks on a live map, with the aim of helping to cut traffic jams and co-ordinate works planning among telephone, water and energy Utilities – potentially saving the UK billions of pounds a year.
Commenting on the new service Councillor Robert Barr OBE, Warrington borough council, said, "We need to help our motorists avoid delays due to roadworks. Roadworks Alerts can help avoid the waste of time that congestion causes and will help councillors keep track of the effect of maintenance and repairs on the roads."
Cambridgeshire county councillor, Shona Johnstone added, "Councillors are often the first point of contact for the public. Having up-to-the-minute information about local roadworks by Ward will be a huge benefit in ensuring that their constituents are kept informed."
Enterprising local councils such as Warwickshire are already pushing out local roadworks information to parish level. County communications manager Jane Inman said: "We have 220 parishes – by our syndicating roadworks data through Roadworks Alerts, local citizens get information about roadworks direct from our Streetworks Register, thus encouraging both ourselves and Utilities and their contractors to keep the information up to date."
"Over 55% of England and Wales is already covered by this service," said ELGIN chairman Shane O’Neill. "Better access to data will lead to better coordination of works and will drive efficiencies."
