The Road Surface Treatments Associations (RSTA)’s very first Pothole Prevention Week campaign takes place this week.
The aim isn’t to bring awareness about the problem of potholes, because that is already widely understood, but to instead talk exclusively about the solutions that are available to local authorities and other road operators, not only to fix potholes, but more importantly, to the stop them forming in the first place.
In tacking a more proactive approach, the life-expectancy of a road in the UK could be increased, and potholes significantly reduced, if local authorities and their private sector contractors adopt a more proactive approach to highway maintenance alongside other treatments such as resurfacing.
This would mean central government would eventually be spending far less on reactive repairs such as filling in potholes by adopting a ‘prevention is better than cure’ approach to highway maintenance funding, rather than ‘papering over the cracks’ with pothole repairs, for them only to appear again later in the medium term.
Mike Hansford, Chief Executive of the RSTA said: “It is a pleasure to be able to launch the first year of the campaign, highlighting the solutions available to local highway authorities and other road operators in preventing potholes from forming.
“I know from my own experience working at Dorset Council that by taking a proactive approach and effecting timely interventions to road surfaces, local highway authorities can prevent cracks and potholes from forming in the first place. This preventative approach compliments highway authorities’ end of life asphalt replacement programme and can provide a maintenance platform that enables highway authorities to keep roads in better condition for longer and free of potholes.
“There are a number of surface treatments at our disposal in the UK, provided by specialist contractors, which seal the road surface and prevent the damaging effects of water ingress, which can be applied to road surfaces as the surface starts to deteriorate.
“The application of surface treatments through a preventative maintenance strategy supports a positive asset management approach to road maintenance, and can offer significant cashable savings, whilst also delivering a lower carbon approach, assisting local authorities in meeting their carbon reduction targets.”
The problem of potholes has well been documented in the press and remain a priority for central Government and our road users, and this campaign is intended to raise awareness of road surface treatments that can prevent these potholes forming in the first place.”
Keep an eye on the RSTA Linkedin page and Highways News website and daily newsletter for campaign updates, as well as www.potholepreventionweek.org
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