Kilkern and VAC UK double-header on M62

9th Oct 2024

Kilkern’s is working with colleagues from VAC UK on the M62 near St Helen’s as part of National Highways repair and improvement programme.

The team has been working alongside primary contractor Milestone Infrastructure (part of M Group Services Transport Division) to replace drainage alongside the motorway between junctions 6 and 7.

Kilkern’s highways civil engineering experts are installing 200m of new ACO slot drain and 400m of shallow carrier drain together with new outlets and gullies (and gully surrounds). Additionally, 875m of overburden will be cleared.

Operating to a tight schedule and with a need to negotiate existing buried cables and services, the team brought in a vac truck from the Kilkern’s specialist vacuum excavator operation, VAC UK.

VAC UK’s fleet has machines from all the major vacex manufacturers. In this instance excavation was carried out using a Longo Rhino machine to provide the combination of speed, efficiency and safety that can’t be matched by other digging methods.

Patrick Rodgers, Commercial Manager at Kilkern, explained that the new drainage will improve surface water management on the M62.

“This is a busy transport corridor which sees large volumes of traffic, particularly around commuting times,” he said. “These works form part of wider improvements along the motorway and we are pleased to be playing our part in National Highways repair programme on the North West’s roads.”