Testing of two automated cone-laying vehicles will commence in February at a facility in Lutterworth, Leicestershire.
The vehicles are being developed by a number of highways experts to eliminate the need for workers to manually place traffic cones on motorways and major A roads.
Highways England is funding £1.27m to the project through the Innovation Designated Funds programme and establishing a minimum standard.
Kier, HW Martin Traffic Management, Highway Care and King Highway Products are developing the vehicles.
During the trial, each vehicle must be able to lay and collect at least 400 cones at a rate of one every 10 seconds.
Furthermore, the machines must offer a safer method for highways workers, be safe for all road users and pose no further risk to traffic.
If the tests prove successful both vehicles could be in use by the end of 2020.
Martin Bolt, group leader, Highways England, who oversees innovation in the Midlands, said: “By taking out the human element in the laborious task of putting out cones, we will be taking out an element of potential risk.
“As well as taking away this physical labour, these automated machines could also save valuable person hours and allow us to redeploy the workforce to other traffic management duties.”
Putting out cones is currently undertaken by two people on the rear of a vehicle working in tandem.
The majority of this work is undertaken at night and carried out in most weathers.
An average 1m-high cone weighs approximately 10kg.
According to Highways England, a single kilometre of coning takes approximately 15 minutes to install and remove, resulting in an exposure time to live traffic of approximately two hours per shift.
Footage released by Highways England (see video below) shows the dangers involved in workers putting cones out.
The footage shows vans and lorries rushing by, often beeping their horns, as workers manually lift and place the cones.
