Following months of cold and wet weather, the inevitable rise in potholes is the talking point for so many at the moment. Unfortunately, it’s a plight that is impacting motorists and other road users up and down the country and Suffolk is no exception.
Potholes become a lot worse at this time of year, as the ground is saturated and temperatures hit freezing, these breakouts increase dramatically. They are formed when water seeps into cracks in the road, then freezes and expands.
So, what am I and those working for Suffolk Highways doing to battle this problem, and reduce the number of potholes we see on our roads around Suffolk?
Well, firstly I want to make clear that potholes are something that we take a range of approaches in tackling. Although we have over 20 highway crews working all year round to repair potholes, we also focus our efforts on resurfacing roads to help stop these potholes from forming in the first place.
In addition to that, we’ve been working with our highway contract partner to bring a Dragon Patcher into Suffolk. We welcomed the new pothole-repairing machine to help fix the growing number of potholes seen this time of year with a trial targeting defects in rural Suffolk.
Releasing compressed air which cleans the surface of the road, the Dragon Patcher then heats the road surface to a temperature that enables repair material to bond effectively with the road, allowing the pothole to be repaired, quickly!
One main reason we wanted to trial this technology is that it can work five times faster when compared with the traditional approach of repairing potholes. It is also fuelled by the biodiesel, HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), reduces raw material use and creates zero waste and has shown to provide significant carbon savings when compared to traditional repairs.
This trial will help bolster our efforts in getting these defects repaired, especially focusing on rural roads where we can repair higher numbers, in a fraction of the time. This new piece of kit is one way in which our new highways contract strives to provide better value for Suffolk’s taxpayers and works to reduce impact on the environment.
Once the trial ends in Suffolk, a decision will be taken on whether to roll out the technology across the county.
To set some context on the wider work we are doing, during the last financial year we repaired over 15,000 potholes and resurfaced over 141 miles of road.
As an authority we recognise the importance of investing more into keeping our roads and highways in good shape, this is why we invested an extra £21 Million between 2017 and 2021 towards resurfacing 1,000 miles of road and more recently £10 Million for the surfacing of local roads in 2024, this is in addition to surfacing that will be funded from the Department for Transport.
This is not the only innovation to arrive in Suffolk since the beginning of our new contract in October 2023. An electric gritter trial will commence in the county shortly, supporting our continued ambition to protect and enhance our environment. The 100% electric vehicle has a range of up to 170 miles on a two-hour charge. We will also be trialling the use of a new weed ripper at various locations throughout Suffolk over the coming weeks, with this technology set to be trialled initially in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Felixstowe, and Lowestoft. I am aware that weeds can be another source of frustration for many, so I am delighted that we are exploring alternative methods to tackle this growing problem. The weed ripper not only removes the weed but also the build-up of soil it’s in, getting to the root of the issue to slow down future regrowth.
While we test these new ways of working in Suffolk, our highway teams are out inspecting our roads to find defects for repair; working to reduce the risk to motorists where possible. I encourage residents to do their bit by reporting potholes to us at highwaysreporting.suffolk.gov.uk, or by calling 0345 606 6171.
