Local roads in Newbury have received an extension to their lifespan in an initiative to trial innovative treatments by the local authority.

Road repair specialist Velocity worked in conjunction with term-maintenance contractor VolkerHighways, initially treating 6,000m2 as part of a 25,000m2 project.

As an approved installer of ASI’s Rhinophalt, Velocity are working with local authorities throughout the UK to help them extend the life of their assets.

Particularly suited to roads that are in ‘green’ to ‘light amber’ condition, Rhinophalt is a unique product that locks-in the current state of the road, preventing deterioration.

Containing Gilsonite, a naturally occurring bitumen, Rhinophalt penetrates the road surface to depths of 30mm, setting hard in any microcracks and air voids to prevent the ingress of water and oxidisation of the carriageway. Once treated, deterioration is prevented for a period of up to five years.

Working in partnership with ASI, Velocity developed a programme to treat a mix of roads in the town, including residential roads and dual carriageways.

Carrying out the work overnight under lane-closures, a 6000m2 distributor road in a residential area was treated with minimal disruption to residents. With a curing time of around two hours, the road was preserved in its entirety and open for traffic the following morning.

Velocity Preservation was launched in the summer with an ambition to bring Rhinophalt to the UK’s local road network, where Velocity has strong relationships with local authorities delivering spray-injection patching.

Gavin Blogg, Velocity’s business development manager, said: “With the introduction of Velocity Preservation, we have a treatment for all of the local roads network. We bring roads in red or amber condition up to standard with Velocity Patching, and now we can protect roads that are in green or light amber condition with Velocity Preservation using Rhinophalt.

“The product really hits the agenda of prevention rather than cure, keeping roads in good condition at low cost.

“This is the first preservation project we have carried out so far. Customers have shown a great appetite for this, seeing the benefit and where it fits into their asset management programmes.

“For 2021 we have a strong order book with many projects lined up, and we’re looking forward to working with more local authorities to help them protect their assets.”