M25 success at the Highways Awards 2020

Connect Plus Services (CPS)  in partnership with Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet have received a Highways Award in the Highways Maintenance Efficiency category for the innovative custom-designed vehicle-mounted vacuum litter picker, which was designed and built by the partnership.

Working collaboratively with CPS’ litter picking crews, the litter picker was designed to improve health and safety when working on the UK’s busiest motorway, while also improving the rate of litter picking. Through the implementation of the vacuum pump, which pulls litter in with suction as opposed to teams manually collecting the waste, the machine has proven to increase the speed at which litter can be collected while reducing the amount of time workers spend in a live highway environment.

Connect Plus, together with M25 community partners Connect Plus Services, Skanska Toppesfield, FM Conway and Atkins were also successful in the awards, being highly commended for their innovative surfacing trial using 50% reclaimed asphalt in the Environmental Sustainability category.

This innovative trial, which has already secured a CIHT UK Climate Change award this year, is the first of its kind on the strategic road network and has delivered a carbon footprint saving of 9.46kg CO2e/T, resulting from a 50% reduction in primary aggregate, a 61% reduction in bitumen imported and reduced transport requirements.

---

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