CFC Solutions have appointed a new member of their telemarketing team, concentrating on its fleet management software.

Jason Francis is CFC Solutions new telemarketing executive and brings with him a successful background in sales in the general insurance sector for more than five years, selling products such as accident protector plans for NatWest Bank. 

Jason said: “I’m very excited to be joining CFC. The fleet sector looks to be a very dynamic and interesting market, and I am looking forward to speaking with existing and potential customers about our product range.”

In his spare time, Jason enjoys jogging, playing badminton and long walks in the countryside. His ambition is to back pack around the world.

The Highways Agency is advising drivers of a number of roadworks taking place overnight on the A64. During the first week of March four sets of works will be in progress and will affect drivers travelling at night between York and Scarborough.

Carriageway repairs, resurfacing and safety improvements are taking place between Hopgrove roundabout and Sandhutton, and between Moor End and Sandburn Wood. Both schemes began on Monday 1 February and will be completed on Thursday 18 March. There are temporary traffic lights and convoy working in place between 8pm and 6am.

Resurfacing works are taking place between Golden Hills and Malton from Monday 1 March until Saturday 6 March. There will be temporary traffic lights and convoy working in place between 8pm and 6am.

Resurfacing works are also taking place at East Heslerton. These works began on Wednesday 17 February and will be completed on Wednesday 3 March. There are temporary traffic lights and convoy working in place between 8pm and 6am.

Highways Agency Route Manager Andrew Brown said: “Whilst we endeavour to schedule our works so they cause as little disruption to drivers as possible, during the first week of March there will be four set of roadworks on the A64. These roadworks are spread out along the length of the road and should only have an impact on drivers travelling the whole length of the A64 from York to Scarborough. Drivers are advised to plan their journeys and leave additional time for their journeys along the A64 during this week.”

Road signs to make it easier for drivers to find their way into Dover are to be installed from next week

The Highways Agency is to install the new signs directing drivers to the Eastern Docks or the Hoverport and Freight Clearance terminals.

As well as the new signs, road markings on five roundabouts on the A20 in the area are to be improved, with a “Keep Clear” marking painted on the road at three roundabouts to improve traffic flows.

John Burns, Route Performance Manager for Kent, said:

“The Highways Agency continues to look for ways to improve safety and traffic flows on the A20 in and out of Dover, a road that carries around 28 000 vehicles every day.

“This work is being carried out as a safety measure to improve lane discipline and help road users easily locate Dover’s major facilities.”

Starting on Monday 01 March there will be daytime weekday lane closures on short sections of the A20 and its roundabouts between 9.30am and 3.30pm each day. At times there will be overnight works between 8pm and 6am with lane closures on roundabouts to apply the new road markings.

Some 8,000 solar-powered road studs are to be installed on the A20 between Folkestone and Dover in Kent to improve safety for road users.  Work is scheduled to start Sunday 28 February and last two weeks.

With ten times more visibility than traditional cats’ eyes – the new road studs are solar powered and do not need the light from drivers’ headlights to work. They provide better visibility, particularly at night, along this 6.3 mile (10.2km) section of the A20.

To install the studs and for the safety of road users, there will be overnight closures at different stages throughout the work and on either the London-bound or coastbound carriageway. The work will take place between Courtwood Interchange and junction 13 of the M20, and between Courtwood Interchange and Western Heights roundabout on the A20. 

John Burns, Highways Agency route manager for Kent, said:

“This section of the A20 was identified as a stretch of road that could benefit from the new solar studs as it is at times subject to sea fog.

“They will light the way to allow road users to follow the road more easily. We have carefully planned the works to be overnight to keep delays to a minimum.”

The closures will have a fully-signed diversion route and will run from 8pm to 6am as follows:
From Sunday 28 February to Monday 1 March, there will be an overnight closure of the London-bound carriageway from the A20 Courtwood Interchange through to junction 13 of the M20.

From Tuesday 2 to Friday 5 March, there will be overnight closures of the coastbound carriageway from junction 13 of the M20 to the A20 Courtwood Interchange.

From Saturday 6 to Sunday 7 March, there will again be an overnight closure of the London-bound A20 Courtwood Interchange through to junction 13 of the M20.

From Monday 8 to Wednesday 10 March, there will be an overnight closure of the coastbound A20 from Courtwood Interchange to Western Heights roundabout.

From Thursday 11 to Saturday 13 March, there will be an overnight closure of the London-bound A20 from Western Heights roundabout to the A20 Courtwood Interchange.

All of the following work is dependent on suitable weather conditions.

M4 between Baydon & Membury Service Station The final phase of the maintenance work on the M4 between Baydon and Membury Service Station, is progressing to replace the current steel barrier in the central reservation with a concrete barrier.

Narrow lane traffic management is in place on both carriageways over a distance of approximately 3.2km between Baydon Road Bridge and the Membury Service Station. Three lanes are operating on both carriageways during peak times.  Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of February 2010.

M4 Junction 8/9 to 10 Resurfacing
Preliminary works to install CCTV, average speed cameras and site vegetation clearance are continuing on the M4 between junctions 8/9 and 10.

There are currently 24 hour hard shoulder closures on both carriageways, with lane closures during night time hours. 3 lanes will be running during peak hours. Narrow lane running on both carriageways will commence on Monday 1 March.

A31 St Ives Filter Drainage
Work commenced on Monday 22 February on the A31 between St Leonards and the Ashley Heath roundabout  to clean and refurbish the filter drain system in this location. Work is scheduled to take place over 5 nights.  There will be overnight lane 1 closures on the eastbound carriageway.

M4 Westbrook and Wyfield Manor Farm Bridges Bridge improvement works to Westbrook Farm Bridge and Wyfield Manor Farm Bridge, on the M4 between junctions 13 and 14, are scheduled to start in late February and are due to be completed by the end of March 2010.
The scheme will include pier protection, drainage improvement works and repainting of the existing handrails. There will be 1.5 miles (2.4km) of traffic management along the M4 between junctions 13 and 14 consisting of hard shoulder and occasional off peak lane 1 closures.

M4 Junction 5 and 6 embankment works
Works to reconstruct the embankment on the eastbound M4 exit slips at junction 6 and junction 5 are due to start in early March and continue until the end of March 2010.
Work,, which will include installation of a new drainage channel, will require closure of the hard-shoulder throughout the duration of the work and occasional overnight (22:00-06:00) lane 1 closures.

M4 Junction 5 – 7
Daytime and overnight work to renew bridge parapets, safety fences, and waterproofing the bridge decks continues this week. Three narrow lanes will be maintained in each direction at peak times. The traffic management changes required to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible are as follows:

Tuesday 23 – Sunday 28 February: The M4 junction 6 entry and exit slip will be closed between the hours of 10pm – 6am. Clearly signed diversions will be in place.  A 50mph speed restriction will be in force and free recovery in place. This speed restriction and narrow lanes will remain until the work is complete in spring 2010.

A404(M)
Work is underway for replacing the Western Region Railway Bridge on the A404(M) near Maidenhead. Two narrow lanes will be available at peak times in each direction throughout. A 40mph speed limit will be in place for the safety of drivers and the workforce. Overnight there will be the occasional contra-flow and lane and slip road closures with signed diversions.

A31 Cadnam and Poulner Hill
Vegetation management to the central reservation and both east and west bound verges of the A31 between Cadnam and Poulner Hill continues this week. The work will be carried out between January and the end of March 2010 in order to minimise any environmental impacts and disruption to road users. .Work will be carried out under lane closures overnight between 2100hrs and 0600hrs. 

A3 Guildford to Compton & Liphook to Clanfield Vegetation management to the central reservation and both north and south bound verges of the A3 between Guildford and Compton, & Liphook to Clanfield continues this week. The work will be carried out between January and the end of March 2010 in order to minimise any environmental impacts and disruption to road users. Work will be carried out under lane closures overnight between 2100hrs and 0600hrs. 

A303 Popham to Andover
Daytime vegetation clearance to the A303, from Popham through Andover to the A343, is currently being undertaken and is due to be completed by the end of March 2010.

This work needs to be undertaken to remove vegetation which is encroaching on the carriageway. There will be lane 1 closures, westbound and eastbound as well as restrictions to the laybys on the A303.
M3 Junction 4-3 Drainage Phase 2
Drainage work continues this week on M3 between J4 and J3, and is scheduled to be completed by late February 2010, weather permitting.

Narrow lanes on the northbound carriageway remain in place. There will be some off-peak lane closures. A 50 mph speed limit will be enforced throughout the site, for the duration of the work.

M3 J3-2 Major Maintenance
Resurfacing work to the hard shoulder and lane 1 of the northbound carriageway continues this week on M3 between J3 and 2, and is scheduled to be completed by March 2010, weather permitting. Traffic Management consists of a contra flow system with 3 narrow lanes on both carriageways open at peak times. A 50mph speed limit will be enforced through the site, for the duration of the works.

M3 J4a-5 Resurfacing
Maintenance work continues this week on the M3 between J4a and 5 and is scheduled to continue until the end of March 2010, weather permitting. Work includes resurfacing on both carriageways and the installation of a concrete barrier in the central reservation.

Traffic management will consist of 3 narrow lanes running on both carriageways until late February when a contra flow system will be in place until late March. A 50mph speed limit will be enforced throughout the site for the duration of the work.

M3 J4a Drainage
Drainage maintenance work at J4a of the M3 is taking place this week to remove accumulated silt from the balancing ponds at this location. Work will be carried out overnight for approximately 7 nights. Junction 4a northbound off slip will be closed between 22:00 and 06:00 hours. A fully signed diversion will be in place

M27 J8-9 Bridge Maintenance
Maintenance work to replace the piers on the bridges carrying Coal Park Lane, Blundell Lane and Dodwell lane over the M27 Motorway, between Junctions 8 and 9 continues this week. The work is scheduled to be completed by early May 2010, weather permitting.
The bridges at Dodwell Lane, Blundell Lane and Coal Park Lane crossing the M27 will be closed on occasions during off-peak overnight between 2100 and 0600hrs. A fully signed diversion route will be in place when the bridges at Dodwell Lane and Blundell Lane are closed. Only authorised emergency vehicles will be able to cross when the bridge at Coal Park Lane is closed.

A3 Hindhead
As from Tuesday 09 February, northbound traffic from Liphook has been  directed to the new southbound carriageway near Spaniards Inn where they will then drive in contraflow with traffic travelling south, rejoining the old A3 at Hazel Grove. 

Major improvement work to improve the A3 and remove the current bottleneck at Hindhead traffic lights continues this week.

Traffic management for the scheme starts just before the A3 Thursley junction at the north end (nearest to Guildford) with a temporary road layout and 40mph speed limit. At the south end there is a 50mph limit starting south of the A3 Liphook junction, reducing to 40mph at Hammer Lane.

A34 Wolvercote Viaduct replacement scheme Ongoing there is a 40mph speed limit in place and two narrow lanes running both northbound and southbound on the A34 enforced by average speed cameras. The speed limit is in place for the protection of road users and road workers.
Also ongoing, the A40, which runs under the viaduct, has a 30mph speed limit and will require night time off-peak temporary traffic lights at times. Intermittent short term closures will be required of one of the cycleway/footways to continue construction activities. Localised signed diversion routes will operate, with a temporary signalised pedestrian crossing on the east side of the Wolvercote viaduct to assist cyclists and pedestrians with a safe crossing point.

A27 Hilsea to Warblington Lighting Major Maintenance Work continues this week on the second phase of works along a 2km of the A27 between Hilsea and Warblington in order to replace the existing lighting and drainage as well as carrying out safety barrier renewals.

This work is scheduled to be completed by late February 2010, weather permitting.

The narrow lanes have now been removed from the carriageway and during the day time there are no planned restrictions. Work will continue under off-peak lane closures between 21:00 and 05:30hrs. There will be two slip-road closures for one night each, with a fully signed diversion in place. A cycleway diversion will be in place.

Traffic Signal Upgrade
A series of traffic signal upgrades across the region continues this month at various junctions on the Area 3 network. The work will involve replacing the current bulbs with new LED signal heads at over 40 sites over the next ten months. The new LED signal heads are brighter and lower voltage, offering safety environmental and maintenance benefits. This week work will be carried out to the signals at M3 J11. Temporary Traffic Lights will be in place while the signals are upgraded, and there will be some off-peak lane closures.

Motorcycle insurance specialist Carole Nash has saved the “Iron Butt” of actor Danny John-Jules’ “Iron Butt” so he can tackle a 7,000 mile challenge in aid of Sports Relief.  Danny, who is best known for playing the Cat in the BBC sci-fi comedy hit , hit a last minute hitch when insurance for him and co-rider Graham Hoskins fell through. Management consultant Graham then sent a desperate last minute plea for help to Carole Nash boss David Newman who agreed to provide free cover for the duo and their Honda XL700V ABS Transalps bikes on the European leg of their fundraising adventure.  The expedition has been dubbed the “Iron Butts” as after Danny and Graham set off this weekend they will spend 16 days in the saddle as they circumnavigate the Mediterranean. The gruelling itinerary will see them ride through 14 countries across Europe, Asia the Middle East and Africa.

But the brakes were nearly put on the whole expedition after their insurance plans fell through.  A grateful Danny joked: “When we heard that our insurance had fallen through we had quite the opposite of iron butts! But seriously Carole Nash really saved the day, or the 15 days, because without insurance this trip would have been dead in the water and with it the money Graham and I are set to raise for Sports Relief. We’re both immensely grateful.”  David Newman said Carole Nash was happy to help. “It’s not every day you get to rescue the Cat! We’re delighted to have been in a position to support such a testing biking challenge and, of course, Sports Relief which does such amazing work supporting disadvantaged people here in the UK and across the world.”   The two riders will kick-start the challenge with a celebrity send-off at noon on Saturday (February 27th) from The Ace Cafe London Motorcycle and Custom Show at Alexandra Palace. From there they’ll tackle the first 250 mile leg to the Channel Tunnel where they’ll pick up a train to Reims before riding on to Marseille and beyond. They will return to the UK on Sunday March 14th.  To raise as much money as they can Danny and Graham are looking not just for people  to sponsor the ride but to bid one bay for biking gear donated by the motorcycle industry.  For details of how to support the Iron Butts
Sports Relief challenge visit: www.ironbutts.co.uk

Essential maintenance is to be carried out on the A52 Brian Clough Way near Sandiacre, from the Bardill’s roundabout towards Junction 25 of the M1.  Work will start on Monday, 8 March and is due to be completed on Wednesday, 31st March.

The scheme includes:

Replacing existing lights in the central reservation on the A52, the Junction 25 slip roads and the Junction 25 roundabout; Installing a new underground cable network and pillars for lighting on the Junction 25 roundabout.

To minimise delays and disruption for road users, work will take place between 8pm and 6am.  Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction each night on the A52, while the Junction 25 roundabout will also be subject to lane closures.

In addition, there will be four nights of closures for the Junction 25 slip roads with clearly signed diversion as per the details below.  Please refer to the Highways Agency website on the link given below for details of closures.

Diversions will be in place for the scheme and will be clearly signposted:

Traffic wanting to join the M1 southbound from the A52 roundabout will be sent north on the M1 to Junction 26 round the roundabout, and will then rejoin the M1 southbound Traffic attempting to use the eastbound entry slip road to access the M1 Junction 25 roundabout will diverted via to the Bardill’s roundabout then back down to the Junction 25 roundabout Traffic using the eastbound entry slip road on to the A52 from the Junction 25 roundabout will be diverted onto the A52 towards Derby (westbound), on to Victoria Avenue at Borrowash, and back onto the A52 eastbound (this is a 3.4 miles diversion route).

Highways Agency project manager, Mark Braithwaite said:

“Road users in the area should be aware of the forthcoming essential works, associated diversions and traffic management schemes and plan their journeys accordingly, leaving more time to reach their final destination.  We’re carrying out the work in off peak hours during the night when traffic is at its lightest in order to cause as little disruption to journey times as possible.”

Plans for the scheme can be viewed online at www.highways.gov.uk: http://www.highways.gov.uk

Details of a major scheme to improve safety, reduce congestion and make journey times more reliable on the M1 at Junction 19 Catthorpe Interchange in Leicestershire have been published today for comment.

The Highways Agency scheme will provide a new junction with direct links to the M1, M6, A14 and new local routes to ease congestion and reduce incidents at the junction. More than 100,000 vehicles per day use the junction, making it one of the busiest in Britain.

The draft Orders detailing the scheme and Environmental Statement are now available to view at the Highways Agency offices in Birmingham, council offices and local libraries. [A full list can be found in Notes to Editors].

Public exhibitions will be held at:

- Lilbourne Village Hall, Station Road, Lilbourne, Northants, CV23 OSU on Friday, 12 March 2010 between 2pm to 8pm, and on Saturday, 13 March 2010 between 10am to 4pm.

- Swinford Village Hall, 1 Chapel Street, Swinford, Leicestershire, LE17 6AZ on Friday, 19 March 2010 between 2pm to 8pm and on Saturday, 20 March 2010 between 10am to 4pm.

Highways Agency project manager Ivan Marriott said:

“The scheme design published today has been developed from the preferred route announced this time last year and it is the one which gained the most support following the public consultation. It has the lowest environmental impact, requires the least land, provides the greatest benefits to road users and represents good value for money.

“The improvements will reduce congestion, help make journey times more reliable, improve safety for those using the M1, M6 and A14 and improve travel between nearby villages for local traffic and pedestrians.”

Following today’s publication of the draft Orders and Environmental Statement, there will be a 12-week period during which statutory bodies, groups or individuals can comment on, support or object.

Anyone who has comments on the proposals should send them to the M1 J19 Catthorpe Interchange improvement project team, Highways Agency, C8 Broadway, 5 Broad Street, Birmingham,B15 1BL, email M1junction19@highways.gsi.gov.uk: mailto:M1junction19@highways.gsi.gov.uk or Telephone 08457 50 40 30.

Depending on the nature and number of objections it may be necessary to hold an independent Public Inquiry before the scheme can proceed.

Subject to funding and successful completion of the statutory procedures the scheme construction is expected to start in autumn 2011.

Further information about the draft Orders, Environmental Statement and the scheme can be found at: http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/11934.aspx

Work has started to install CCTV at five key locations along the A1 between Stamford, Lincolnshire, and Apleyhead in Nottinghamshire.

The cameras will be located at the junctions of the A1 with the A606 at Stamford, the A607 at Harlaxton, the A52 at Barrowby, the A57 at Markham Moor and the A614 at Apleyhead.

Images will be fed into the Highways Agency’s regional traffic control centre.

Highways Agency project manager David Simpson said:

“The cameras will enable improved monitoring of junctions that frequently become congested during peak hours. We can see first hand what is happening on the network and, if necessary, set electronic driver information signs at strategic points along the A1 to warn drivers of any delays or incidents.

“It also means more efficient deployment of emergency services following any incidents.”

Work to install the cameras started on Wednesday,10 February and is due to end on Wednesday, 31 March.

The work will be carried out in the day and overnight, with the night time working requiring overnight closures of lane one of the northbound carriageway between 10pm and 6am each night.

Temporary traffic lights will be used during the works at the A606 at Stamford, which will be in operation in daytime off peak hours, between 9am and 5pm, for three weeks beginning on Monday, 15 March.

Work to replace the electricity supply to safety bollards at the Harlequin Junction on the A52 at Radcliffe on Trent will start on Saturday 6 March.

The work will involve replacing the existing electrical cable which is underneath the road surface, so the westbound carriageway will be closed and all traffic will use the eastbound carriageway, controlled using temporary traffic lights.

The traffic lights at the junction will also be replaced by the temporary traffic lights, but while work is not taking place, the junction will return to normal operation.

The scheme is expected to be completed by Tuesday 30 March with work taking place during the weekend between 7am and 7pm and overnight on week days between 8pm and 6am.

Highways Agency project manager Mark Braithwaite said:

“The work will ensure that the electrical supplies to the bollards are functioning, making the junction more visible, prolonging the life of the equipment and allowing us to maintain the junction safely.

“We’re carrying out this work overnight when traffic on the A52 is lightest, and during the day on weekends to complete the scheme as quickly and safely as possible to minimise delays to road users.”

Between now and the end of March there will be a significant increase in roadworks in the East Midlands, as we invest in maintaining and improving the region’s motorways and major A roads. We will do as much work as we can overnight (generally between 10pm and 6am) when traffic flows are at a minimum, but some work has to take place during the day for safety reasons. We will minimise delays by keeping as many lanes open as possible while the work takes place. For up to date information about roadworks which may affect your journey visit www.highways.gov.uk/area7bbf