Key changes

 

Core changes

The changes that have been made to the MCHW can be summarised under 4 core themes, which are introduced below:

  1. New structure of the MCHW document set, with the seven volumes in the old MCHW consolidated into three document sets. This includes new document numbering replacing current series, which is based on discipline and life-cycle stages as per the DMRB (see also Document mapping). The three document sets are:
    • 1) Specification for Highway Works (SHW) documents,
    • 2) Instructions for Specifiers (IfS) documents,
    • 3) Method of Measurement for Highway Works (MMHW) documents.
  2. New style of individual MCHW documents, which have been developed following new drafting rules.
  3. New country-specific versions now downloadable from the Standards for Highways website. These provide national variations relevant to a particular Overseeing Organisation given “in-line” with the core requirements.
  4. New Works Specific Requirements (WSR) replacing the Contract Specific Appendices, now provided in open format templates for ease of completion and to facilitate consistency between contract-specific specifications.

Additional changes

  • All documents have had editorial and technical updates to reflect current best practice and make the content contract neutral, enabling use under a variety of different contract types and procurement routes.
  • Alongside the relaunched MCHW, 67 documents in the Design Manual for Road and Bridges have also been updated or created. The modernised MCHW and updated DMRB present a major opportunity for our project teams, design partners and supply chain to meaningfully contribute to reducing carbon across the strategic road network. See also the series of webinars starting in November 2025 looking at how the new standards are removing barriers and unlocking innovation to accelerate our journey to net zero.   
  • The MCHW content has been digitalised, unlocking future potential.
  • A terms and definitions section is not provided in the MCHW. Where a definition is required, it is provided in the SHW text to make it contractually sound. Terms that are relevant to design outputs are defined under the relevant DMRB documents.
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