West Sussex County Council has stepped up preparations for the coming winter after the county’s highways faced the combined impacts of extreme winter rainfall and prolonged summer heat.
While repairing damage caused by the severe weather, the council’s highways teams are also taking proactive action to improve the resilience of the county’s road network ahead of what is forecast to be another difficult winter.
The highways team have repaired more than 15,000 potholes and patched over 110,200 square metresof road surface during the first six months of the financial year after the number of defects soared following the wet winter.
At the same time, this summer’s prolonged high temperatures caused softening on some road surfaces. As the surface re-hardens, new weaknesses can develop, increasing the risk of potholes.
During the hot weather, crushed granite was applied to affected roads to help bind and stabilise the surface. Now the temperatures have dropped these roads are being fully inspected, with patching and remedial works completed where necessary. Where the affected area is too large for patching, roads will be scheduled for hydro-blasting treatment or resurfacing.
As part of its preventative approach to highway maintenance, the council has invested in a new thermal road repair unit which heats, rejuvenates and reworks the existing asphalt in place, reducing the need for excavation of damaged sections of carriageway.
The new repair technique means multiple potholes can be treated at the same time, increasing the number of defects that can be treated earlier, before they become a large pothole, extending the life of the surface and reducing future maintenance costs.
This new process reduces the amount of material used, as only a small amount of new material needs to be added when completing repairs, lowers carbon emissions and improves productivity and efficiency.
Councillor Erika Woodhurst-Trueman, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said:
“Both last winter’s exceptional rainfall and this summer’s prolonged periods of high temperatures had a significant effect on our road network, causing both damage and disruption. While we can’t control the weather, our highways teams have been planning for the possibility of another challenging winter and doing everything they can to keep our roads safe and West Sussex residents and visitors moving.
“I am very proud of how they have responded to the changing demands of extreme weather and their determination to reduce the impact of future severe weather events.”
(Picture: Clickos)
