Notice Forms and the Esdal Project

Introduction
The Highways Agency has developed a free website designed to make route sketching and notifications easier. The Electronic Service Delivery for Abnormal Loads project (ESDAL) will ultimately automate the process making it faster, secure and user friendly.

ESDAL stands for 'Electronic Service Delivery for Abnormal Loads' It is a new system that simplifies the process of notifying abnormal load movements. Legislation requires that vehicles and load movements that exceed standard dimensions need to be pre-notified to police, highway and bridge authorities, a process that currently involves millions of faxes being sent every year. ESDAL is streamlining this process using the latest technology, providing welcome relief to everyone involved in the movement of abnormal indivisible loads.

ESDAL - General Overview
Points of Contact - Guidance
Notification Process for C&U and STGO
Downloadable Forms

ESDAL - General Overview
Using ESDAL's innovative mapping system, Hauliers can easily identify the route they need to take, and get full details of all the organisations they will need to notify before making the movement. It can be accessed by Structure Owners, Police, Road Agents and authorities who will be able to manage incoming notifications using this web-based system. Hauliers will be able to deliver fully compliant notifications with just a few clicks of a mouse, a faster and more accurate system of notification.

The ESDAL project is comprised of essentially four parts:

a web based route sketching system, which gives access to contact details of all structure owning authorities and police forces who need to be notified of an abnormal load movement. Operators are able to log in, sketch a route on multi-scale maps covering the whole country, and the system then identifies exactly who needs to be notified.

focuses on tools for the Highways Agency abnormal loads team with improved data and facilities for planning, in particular for the processing of Special Orders (SO), for the largest and heaviest loads.

will deliver a system for the automated on-line notification of the movement of loads. Operators will enter the information required and the notification will be delivered to the relevant police forces and structure owning authorities without the need for faxes.

will continue developing the interactive system providing assisted route planning and information on constraints to movement such as roadworks and height restrictions. The assisted route planning will also give an early indication when a route is unlikely to be suitable for a particular load.

Access to ESDAL is free. Operators can register to use the system with no charge and ongoing use will be free of charge. Further information can be obtained by visiting www.EDSAL.com

Points of Contact - Guidance
Notification may be required by the Police, Highways Agency, Other Authority with direct or delegated responsible for maintenance of roads or bridges and the DfT. It is not possible to provide contact addresses for all those to whom individual notification is required. However, we have replicated the Dept for Transport guidance points of contact below.

For points of contact to notify the relevant authorities and further enquiries please contact:

Notification to Network Rail Southern Zone Phone 0207-922-2445 (Full map and list available from Network Rail).
Notification to the Highways Agency representatives: Information Line 0345-50-4030 (Full map and list of 20 areas available from Highways Agency).
Notification to Police force Abnormal loads officers - Contact County Police Force and ask for Abnormal loads officer.
Notification for non trunk roads, roads and bridges authorities: The local authority may be a city, county, district metropolitan, unitary or other authority. As no master list is held centrally contact must be made through the appropriate local authorities.

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Notification Process for C&U and STGO
The following procedural process is applicable in all cases:

C&U and STGO

If a suitable route is found load permitted to move
subject to 2-5 days notification by haulier to bridge owners, highway authorities and police
haulier required to have indemnity in case of bridge damage

Special Order

If a suitable route is found load permitted to move
subject to 2-5 days notification by haulier to bridge owners, highway authorities and police
haulier required to have indemnity in case of bridge damage

Special Order Process

Decision taken to proceed with consultation and applicant informed
Route defined and together with vehicle/load details circulated to all highway authorities, bridge owners and police forces
Route checked and confirmation received that route is suitable, together with any restrictions and or cautions
Individual Special Order issued with specified route to haulier for the move
Haulier notifies highway authorities (inc NTCC) and police 2 to 5 days prior to move
Load is successfully moved

Downloadable Forms
The links below will take you to the relevant forms for download and also to the Esdal website for further information.

Esdal Website
Guide to Making abnormal Load Movements pdf