Pothole prevention programme

The Dragon Patchers will be deployed across rural locations and will employ a find and fix approach, identifying areas of concern where damage is likely to occur during the winter months.

It is anticipated that each Dragon Patcher will cover on average around 20 miles of Suffolk’s rural road each day.

Once an area is identified, the machine cleans the road surface using compressed air then applies a hot bitumen emulsion and aggregate to the area, removing the hole and sealing the road from surface water ingress and providing it with resilience against the elements. The team then move on to the next area for treatment.

The machines are fuelled by biodiesel, reduce raw material use and generate zero waste and provides a significant carbon reduction when compared to traditional patching repair techniques.

The Road Mender team will be deployed onto urban roads across Suffolk’s larger towns and employ a find and fix approach to repairing areas where damage is likely to occur over the winter.

We are expecting the team to cover 1 to 2 miles per day, depending on the volume of repairs needed in a location.

Unlike traditional repairs that require potholes to be saw-cut and excavated to allow a hot repair to be completed, the Road Mender system allow hot material to be compacted into a hole and sealed with its unique flowable rubberised material. This material can also be applied to areas of cracking and crazing, with the material flowing into and sealing the cracks. Once applied, the adhesive and flexible material creates a strong bond with the road surface that prevent water ingress and providing it with resilience against the elements.

The process is more sustainable and efficient, reducing raw material use and producing zero waste. The repairs are quicker to complete when compared to tradition patching repairs, reducing delays for road users.

The repairs will be undertaken on lower category roads (excluding A&B classification roads), using minimal traffic management. There may be traffic delays for up to 15 minutes whilst the area is made safe for passage.

Please note that due to the quick operational process involved to complete these repairs, and the minimal traffic management required, the work will not be visible on one.network. 

Over the next two weeks, our teams will be carrying out repairs in the areas listed below. 

Defects on the road network are more common during colder and wetter months, increasing noticeably from January as roads deteriorate in wet and cold weather. This programme will identify areas at risk of deterioration allowing teams to be deployed to repair and treat areas to reduce the risk of dangerous potholes forming.

No, not every road will be treated. We have used data to identify roads that are more likely to develop defects over the winter. Roads that have already been resurfaced or are scheduled for resurfacing will not be treated. We will be publishing information on roads that are being targeted to allow you to see what roads are being targeted near you.

Roads are selected based using a data-led approach that combines previous defect and customer report data. This data supports the identification of locations that are susceptible to damage during the winter months and those where you have made us aware of issues but which may not have met the criteria for repair under our Safety Defect Service (i.e. locations smaller than a side plate or shallower than a golf ball).

Unfortunately, not. As detailed above, we are using a data-led approach to identify locations for treatment. We then group areas together to reduce travel time and increase the amount of time each day repairs are being undertaken.

If you have concerns relating to a defect, you can let us know using our online reporting tool.

A Dragon Patcher repair involves the application of a hot bitumen (glue) and aggregate to the road surface. These are self-sealing and do not require material to be excavated or the resultant repair to be sealed, as is the case with a traditional cut and fill repair.

The Roadmender appears similar in appearance to a tradition repair, with straight edges. The use of an rubberised material, applied to the road surface, does not require edge sealing as the material itself forms a bond with the road surface.

No, these are permanent preventative repairs. We also know, based on the use of both the Dragon Patcher and Roadmender last year as part of a trial here in Suffolk, they have performed well and as well as traditional cut and fill repairs and last.

Both repair methods are guaranteed for two years for workmanship defects.

Whilst we used both the Dragon Patcher and Roadmender as part of our Safety Defect Service last year, using both as a preventative treatment is a first for Suffolk.

We are confident that deploying both repair technologies in a preventative manner will reduce the overall number of Safety Defects on Suffolk’s roads later in the winter. During the season, we will be gathering information on repairs to enable us to confirm the expected performance of the repairs and, for treated areas whether overall numbers of defects through the winter season are less than roads that are not visited as part of this initiative.

So, whilst we gather information to evidence success, Suffolk highways currently hire in the operators and the vehicles/equipment.

Moving forwards, if this type of preventative programme is something that continues in Suffolk, we will consider whether owning of hiring vehicles/equipment provides the best value for money.

Both the Dragon Patcher and Roadmender allow for quick application. Once the repair is complete and the team moves on and the road can be reopened to traffic immediately.

Repairs are not performed during rain. However, once the repair is complete, rain does not affect its durability.

Traffic management will typically involve mobile works or short duration closures.

Mobile works will be used where road widths and visibility are sufficient for our repair vehicles to be passed safely. Traffic is usually controlled by stop/go boards.

Short duration closures will be used on narrower roads. These are called TO15 closures where a road is temporarily closed for up to 15 minutes whilst a repair is completed. Traffic is then allowed to pass before we may close the road for a further 15 minutes and so on.

We know any traffic management is inconvenient, but it is there for your safety and that of our work teams. Please be courteous and patient, we are working for you and repairing your roads.

The Dragon Patcher combines hot bitumen and stone, which are sprayed into defects and cracked and crazed areas to seal and repair the road surface.

The Roadmender uses a polymer-modified asphalt , which is more resistant to wear due to its rubber content which makes the material more elastic across temperature ranges meaning it is less likely to become brittle and crack.

If we placed all of Suffolk’s roads end to end, they would stretch from the UK all the way to the Bahamas; around 4,200 miles.

Unfortunately, we do not have the funding to resurface roads in Suffolk at the frequency required to substantially prevent potholes. This does therefore mean that potholes will occur, and Suffolk Highways will fix them.

The principle of this programme is to treat areas across Suffolk that are susceptible to defects, sealing areas of Suffolk’s roads to reduce the number that grow and could present a danger to road users.

More information on the ‘State of Suffolk’s Roads’ can be found in the Scrutiny Report.

Both methods eliminate the need for any excavation. This reduces waste material taken from site for recycling as well as reducing the volume of new raw materials being placed into the road. Our vehicles also run on Biodiesel which provides a substantial CO2 saving when compared to traditional diesels.

While some noise is inevitable during road repairs, both the Dragon Patcher and Roadmender processes are designed to be quick and efficient, which has the benefit of reducing the duration of noise disturbance at a particular location when compared to traditional methods.

We anticipate that visited locations will also have fewer defects appear during the winter which will reduce return visits, associated noise and inconvenience.

While we are confident that this initiative will reduce the risk of potholes forming, unfortunately no repair method can entirely prevent potholes from forming in the longer-term.

You can report any potholes or road defects through the council’s website by calling us on, of preferably using our online reporting tool. Our inspection team will assess the reported issue and determine the appropriate course of action.