Highways

The aim of the industry is to design and construct public highways efficiently and promptly for clients, which are often from the public sector. The sector is diverse, encompassing design, construction, transport planning, geotechnics, environmental awareness and dealing with the public. Engineers can contribute to the permanent works (the finished structure) or the temporary works (the structures that enable the permanent works to be built).

Traditionally, consultants design the engineering works and contractors oversee their construction. However, design and build contracts, where one organisation is responsible for both elements, and early contractor involvement (ECI) projects, in which the contractor has input into the design alongside the consultant, are increasingly common.

The public, the environment... all in a day's work

Sustainability has revolutionised the industry. Highway engineers strive to attain the maximum re-use of materials instead of sending them to landfill. Consultants consider environmental factors in their designs and contractors ensure things are done in the most environmentally friendly way. Health and safety is also a top priority, both in terms of the workers on site and the travelling public.

One growth area is the Highways Agency’s policy to ease congestion by having traffic running on motorway hard shoulders, which necessitates more overhead instructions. This may mean more opportunities for graduates with technological know how.

Doing the job of a graduate highways engineer

Working for a contractor, a graduate typically joins a site team and is assigned to a particular section. They are often responsible for the initial setting out of works for subcontractors, keeping diaries up to date and completing risk assessments. A graduate at a consultancy works in a similar sized team and may carry out site surveys, complete some computer-aided design (CAD) work and assist the design team.

Working life for highway engineers

It’s common for there to be some travel, which can be hard if you have family or other commitments, but it’s a very sociable industry. The breadth of the sector means that it is hard to get bored and there is an enormous sense of achievement when a project is completed.

Bruce Richards, CEng, MICE, MIHT, is a project director at Costain Plc. He has a BSc in civil engineering and has been working in highways engineering for 22 years.