Mobile barrier keeps traffic moving

Drivers using the A21 near Sevenoaks in Kent are the first in the UK to benefit from a mobile barrier which allows highway engineers to keep more lanes open for peak time traffic.

The QMB, or Quickchange Moveable Barrier, machine is being used as part of the Highways Agency improvement scheme to add a crawler lane to the A21.

The new machine can lift 12 tonnes of concrete safety barriers into place at a speed of 7mph (11.2kph).

On the A21, this means that barriers can be moved twice a day to increase the number of lanes available to traffic for the morning and evening peak travel periods. The concrete barrier also offers better safety protection to road workers.

The QMB machine has already been successfully used in the US and has been brought to the UK for trials on the Highways Agency's network of England's major roads.