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Road works and events law in Jersey

The Road Works and Events (Jersey) Law 2016 came into force on 1 January 2018.

The law outlines the control and management of road works and sets responsibilities for anyone carrying out road works, to promote good traffic movement, minimise inconvenience and ensure safety.

The new law introduces stronger measures to protect public investment in the road network and there is now a legal framework for roadwork permits, setting performance standards for:

  • effective work planning
  • public engagement and communication
  • safe and considerate working 
  • trench reinstatement workmanship and use of materials

We will achieve these standards by making codes of practice, creating clear legal duties and setting minimum training requirements.

Road Works and Events (Jersey) Law Definitions

The law defines the following words or terms:

Road

A road repairable at the expense of the States of Jersey or the Parish which includes carriageways, footpaths, footways, verges, roundabouts, laybys, bus stops, parking places, public car parks, crossing facilities, embankments, retaining walls, bridges, tunnels, promenades, cycle paths, and open public spaces such as squares and precincts.

Road works

Means any of the following

  1. Contracted highway authority works: Works for the highway authority to maintain or improve the road and its associated infrastructure
  2. Undertaker works: Works carried out in a road, under a statutory power, usually by utility companies (electricity, gas, water, telecoms) or drainage authorities, to place, inspect, maintain, repair, replace or remove apparatus
  3. Specified road works: Works carried out in, or on the side of a road creating an obstacle or potential hazard. Including operating a mobile crane, building construction and maintenance, constructing or repairing road side walls, road side stabilisation works, tree felling, constructing or modifying a vehicle entrance, survey work, scaffolding and skips.

Apparatus

Any cable, conduit, duct, drain or pipe, whether in use or not, including electricity, gas, telecommunications, water or sewage (supply or disposal) and any structure for lodging or providing access.

Undertaker

The authority, body or person having a legal power to carry out undertaker works, including private services enabled under the Highways Law. 

Permit charging for road works 

From 1 January 2019 the new Road Works and Events (Jersey) Law 2016 will allow States of Jersey or the Parishes as highway authorities to charge a fee for road works permits, which has been set by the Minister for Infrastructure.

We have created the Road Works permit charging policy which provides detail on how the permit charging process will be implemented.

Stronger inspection and enforcement of road works 

The new Road Works and Events (Jersey) Law 2016 strengthens the powers of the States of Jersey or the Parishes (as highway authorities) to carry out:

  • compliance checks on road work safety standards and application of codes of practice
  • investigations and oversight of remedial works to ensure integrity of the roads is maintained

We expect additional inspection resources to be available so that increased enforcement activity will start to take place, with a formal promoter and contractor performance monitoring regime in operation by the end of 2019.

Road work embargo periods

The new Road Works and Events (Jersey) Law 2016 allows the States of Jersey or the Parishes to place an embargo, or temporary ban on new road works.

Embargo periods

Types and lengths of embargo periods

​Carriageway (the part of a road for the carriage of motor vehicles, includes paved cycle tracks)
Five years
​New construction or reconstruction
​Surface treatments of high visual amenity of a prestige or artisan nature (stone paving, cobbles, sets, or similar surface bonded features, surfaces of special colour).
​Three years
​Resurfacing (overlays and surface dressing).





​Paved road other than the carriageway (footways, footpaths, alleys, passages or promenades, open space such as pedestrian areas or squares)
Five years
 ​Surface treatments of high visual amenity of a prestige or artisan nature (stone paving, cobbles, sets, or similar surface bonded features, surfaces of special colour).
One year
​New construction, reconstruction, resurfacing (overlay and surface dressing).

Road works industry briefings

On 23rd and 24th October 2018 we held a series of presentations for road works industry stakeholders to update them on the new law and their obligations. Copies of the presentations are available below - please note that there are four versions, customised for each sector of the industry: 

  1. highway maintenance and asphalt contractors
  2. utility companies and civil contractors
  3. scaffolding and construction
  4. other contractors

Road works events law briefing highway maintenance

Road works events law briefing utility sector

Road works events building sector

Road works events law sector briefing

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