A new method of filling in potholes and cracks in roads is being trialled in Essex. Essex Highways is trialling the new method in Colchester and Tendring.

At the moment, the council repairs potholes by cutting out the surrounding road surface. Hot asphalt is then poured into the defect and compacted to fix it.

Roadmender Asphalt has developed a technique that does not need roads to be dug up. This increases the number of defects which can be fixed.

Recycled materials, including old lorry tyres, make up the asphalt and it can also be prepared on site as needed. It creates almost no waste and reduces the CO2 produced compared to other methods of repair. The material cools faster, also reducing the time a road is closed.

Essex Highways crews will assess the test sites in spring and summer next year. This will help them understand how the material has held up over the winter. A decision will then be made whether to adopt this new method and use it across the county.