WJ Group has been nominated for Product of the Year after it successfully completed the installation of coloured surfacing on over 150 Emergency Refuge Areas (ERAs) as part of the National Emergency Area Retrofit (NEAR) programme for National Highways.

Shortlisted for Product of the Year at the Highways Awards later next month (September), WJ Group’s new product, RapidGrip was installed across the £390 million programme developed to improve driver confidence and safety by reducing the distance between emergency refuge areas. This ensures drivers have a safe space to pull over along smart motorways during situations such as breakdowns.

Having high friction levels in each emergency area was essential to support safe stopping distances from vehicles rapidly decelerating from motorway speeds. Without the correct surface treatment, drivers risk skidding.

Given the important role these bays play in supporting motorists during emergency situations, the speed at which they can be installed was a major factor. However, traditionally ERA bays required a two-coat high-friction coloured surfacing system. This method involved multiple teams and vehicles with long curing times, resulting in higher emissions, greater costs and increased work-related road risks.

To address these challenges, SMP Alliance – the enterprise delivering the NEAR programme for National Highways – sought to find a more efficient solution.

In response, WJ Group developed RapidGrip, a one-coat, cold-applied system that combines pigment, aggregate, and binder into a single application – enabling 2 bays to be completed in 1 shift.

Developed in house, working closely with National Highways and SMP Alliance to ensure technical and operational compliance, the system went through extensive lab and live-site testing to ensure it delivered all of the Alliance’s requirements.

This product eliminates the need for a road sweeper and multiple curing stages, significantly streamlining the installation process while maintaining high levels of skid resistance and surface performance.

Since deployment, RapidGrip has delivered measurable outcomes:

• 300% increase in productivity with up to four bays being completed over two shifts in contrast to the one that could previously be installed previously.
• Curing time was reduced from three hours to just 20–30 minutes, enabling bays to be reopened much quicker.
• Skid resistance values averaging SRV 78 on site – well above the ERA requirement of 55 as well as a texture depth over 2mm.
• No road sweeper required which halved the number of vehicles needed on site and reducing associated safety implications.
• Lower operational CO₂ emissions and cost per bay, owing to the reduction in installation vehicles needed and improved efficiency.
• Reduced time spent on site and traffic management needs, minimising disruption for road users while keeping crews safer.

Martin Webb, Innovation Director at WJ Group, said: “WJ Group has been involved with the smart motorway programme since its inception, supporting the installation of ERA bays. However, with the scale and pace of the NEAR programme rollout, it became clear that a new solution was needed to address the limitations of previous methods.

“Thanks to our close collaboration with SMP Alliance, and the capabilities of our in-house engineering, product manufacturing, and contracting teams, we knew we could develop a smarter way to deliver surfacing for ERA bays, one that truly worked better for our crews, clients, road users, and the environment.

“With RapidGrip, I believe we’ve created a solution that meets all three of National Highways’ core imperatives: Safety, Customer, and Delivery.”

For more information about RapidGrip and WJ Group’s surfacing innovations, visit www.wj.uk

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