MAJOR roadworks could be finished more quickly with the introduction of self-driving dumper trucks.
The government's road transport body Highways England has announced that it is trialling the autonomous technology this week, in the hope of introducing it within the next three years.
The trucks would be used on schemes like the Smart Motorway improvements on the M60, which have cause delays for thousands of computers.
One self-driving dumper truck is now being tested on a scheme on the A14 in Cambridgeshire.
The truck is programmed remotely to follow a pre-determined route and has the capability to detect and avoid obstacles, other vehicles and similar barriers along the route as it drives.
Deputy project director for Highways England, Julian Lamb, said: "Road construction has changed massively over the years and the testing of trucks such as these promises to allow us to work efficiently, speeding up roadworks, giving more protection to road workers, and moving jobs to other skilled areas."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here