Roadgrip has completed a comprehensive site-wide line marking refresh at the National Physical Laboratory, renewing roads, parking areas, pedestrian crossings, loading zones, directional markings and safety hatching across the facility.
As the UK’s national measurement institute, NPL is home to world-leading scientific research and innovation. With a large campus accommodating staff, visitors, deliveries and service vehicles, maintaining clear, visible and well-organised traffic management systems is essential to keeping the site operating safely and efficiently.
The project involved a complete refresh of the site’s existing markings, restoring clarity and consistency across the road network while improving the overall presentation of the campus.
One of the key considerations for this project was access.
The National Physical Laboratory operates throughout the working week, meaning disruption to staff, visitors and site operations needed to be kept to an absolute minimum. To achieve this, the works were programmed exclusively for weekends, with Roadgrip returning over five to six consecutive weekends to complete the refresh in carefully planned phases.
This approach allowed individual sections of the site to be completed methodically while ensuring the campus remained fully operational during the week.
The success of the project relied less on overcoming technical challenges and more on careful planning, sequencing and coordination. By maintaining momentum across consecutive weekends, the team was able to efficiently deliver a large volume of work without impacting day-to-day activities.
The works included the renewal of a wide range of traffic management and safety markings throughout the campus.
Fresh centre lines and edge lines were installed across the site’s internal road network, while parking bays, directional arrows, give-way markings, loading zones and hatch markings were reinstated to improve visibility and organisation. Pedestrian crossing points were also refreshed, helping maintain clear separation between vehicles and foot traffic throughout the site.
The result is a much sharper, cleaner environment where road users and pedestrians can navigate confidently and safely.
The majority of the project was completed using screed-applied thermoplastic, chosen for its durability, visibility and long service life.
Thermoplastic remains one of the most effective solutions for high-traffic environments, offering excellent wear resistance and maintaining its visibility under regular vehicle use. For selected areas where different application requirements existed, paint systems were used to complement the overall marking strategy.
As part of the wider programme, one section of roadway within the campus was resurfaced by a specialist contractor during the project.
After resurfacing. Roadgrip returned to install the new line markings, ensuring the freshly laid surface was quickly brought back into operation and integrated seamlessly into the wider site layout.
Learn more about our work improving the UK’s highways and car parks, or contact us for a quick and competitive quote for your next project.
