New tech to speed up repairs to potholes

An innovative method to speed up repairs to potholes is being used in Lancashire County Council following recent damage caused by a sustained cold and wet winter.

Having budgeted £23 million for maintenance to Lancashire's road surfaces in 2018/19, with approximately £10 million specifically for fixing potholes and carrying out minor repairs, the council is using spray injection patching techniques to improve the road defects. The machines, which operate by removing debris, sealing defects with a cold bitumen emulsion and then filling with an aggregate mix, can make an average of 60 repairs a day.

Andrew Snowden, lead member for highways and transport, said: "The alternating spells of wet followed by cold weather we've had over the winter have created the perfect conditions for potholes to appear. Our highway teams have been working in all weathers to fix them, but it has been hard going at times as the wet and icy conditions have made it very difficult to make lasting repairs.

"As the warmer weather arrives and our annual programme of resurfacing begins I hope people will really see the difference as we get on top of the repair backlog and deal with the winter damage. One of the ways we're trying to make progress as quickly as possible is by using these spray injection machines which are very efficient and an excellent preventative tool to stop pothole problems from forming in the first place. We've already had four of these machines working over recent weeks, and now have six which will be with us until mid-October when the winter weather arrives again and they can no longer operate as effectively."