The Department for Transport (DfT) has published a collection of new leaflets full of advice on how to reduce the congestion caused by roadworks. Working with Transport for London (TfL), the DfT has produced the leaflets as part of a million pound research project.

The leaflets are concerned with techniques that will allow roadworks to be completed as cheaply and quickly as possible. This could lead to significant savings, as it is estimated that roadworks cost the economy £4.3 billion every year.

One of the efficient methods is the American Core and Vac technique. This technique allows workers to drill down and work on underground pipelines and cables without digging large trenches in the road. According to the National Grid, works that use the Core and Vac technique take about half a day, compared to five days when trenches are dug.

The National Grid also claims that efficiency measures have already been able to cut delays affecting the public due to roadworks. In London, these measures saved 5,670 days in journey times between April 2011 and March 2014.