Balfour Beatty develops giant motorway vacuum cleaner

Balfour Beatty’s plant and fleet division has developed a custom-designed, vehicle mounted vacuum litter picking machine to help clean busy motorways.

The technology has been developed in partnership with Connect Plus Services (CPS), which operates and maintains the M25 on behalf of Connect Plus and Highways England.

The new machine enables maintenance crews to collect litter of various sizes, shapes, and weights from the roadside with use of a handheld vacuum pipe secured to a machine, mounted on a truck bed. The litter is then deposited into a compartment within the vehicle, and any dust contained through a specialised filter.

Balfour claimed the machine improved workers’ health and safety when working on the UK’s busiest motorway, while also improving the rate of litter picking.

Following a successful trial on the M25 network, the vehicle will now form part of Connect Plus Services’ fleet.

David Neal, managing director of Connect Plus Services, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Balfour Beatty Plant and Fleet to develop this innovative piece of equipment. In 2018 we collected over 50,000 bags of litter from the M25 and its surrounding roads, which requires extensive resource and expert planning to ensure the network remains clean and clear, with minimal impact on the travelling public.

“The M25 is one of the busiest and most strategic road networks in the UK. Through continuous innovation, we can reduce the time our highways maintenance teams spend litter picking on live highways networks, as we strive to create the safest working environment and better journeys for all.”

Andy Ormerod, managing director of Balfour Beatty’s Plant and Fleet Services business, said: “With health and safety at the heart of everything we do, we are pleased to have been able to provide an innovative solution to our workforce which reduces risk and increases productivity.

“Our expert capabilities have allowed us to design and build a state-of-the-art piece of equipment, taking into consideration challenges currently being faced by those working on highways projects. Embedding innovation into our projects allows us to offer a solution focused outcome for our clients.”

Nicola Bell, Highways England South East regional director, said: “Hundreds of thousands of people use the M25 each day, and litter is a real problem. This innovative vehicle will help roadworkers to clear litter much more quickly than picking it by hand, and will also free up time for other maintenance and safety priorities – and also our work together with Connect Plus to encourage people not to drop litter in the first place.”