Innovative road repairs cut Derbyshire pothole backlog by more than 90% to record low

Thermal road repairs are a new technique being rolled out for town centre and residential streets in Derbyshire (Credit: DCC)

Derbyshire County Council has made significant progress on reducing the number of potholes in the county, after recent investment in new innovative repair methods that are resulting in safer, more resilient roads.

The county council has cut the number of outstanding potholes from 12,000 in April, to under 700, which is the lowest figure recorded for more than 12 months. That’s a reduction of 93.75% in just four months!

This achievement is testament to the commitment and continued investment of the council’s rapid response service, as it prioritises the delivery of longer-lasting repairs, that give the right roads, the right treatment first time, every time.

Since April, the council has spent £3.9 million on pothole repairs, as part of the wider highways £70 million capital programme which prepares the county’s roads for winter.

Recent improvements include:

• Jet patching teams, using high-tech machine to deliver rapid repairs to multiple potholes on rural roads
• Thermal repair works in town centre and residential areas to provide long-lasting repairs by heating and reusing the existing road materials to create a smooth, waterproof joint-free finish and fewer new materials, reducing delays and inconvenience for road users, delivering an environmentally friendly finish
• Use of a JCB Pothole Pro, to cut, clean and crop potholes, in advance of the potholes being filled for a permanent repair
• Elasto-mastic patching that uses a material made partly from old lorry tyres, to create a flexible, waterproof repair at busy junctions or where there are multiple potholes

Combined, these changes have resulted in our rapid response teams being able to fix on average 2,000 potholes every week.

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Councillor Charlotte Hill said: “I want to congratulate our highways team on this achievement and thank them for their hard work. The combination of their efforts, innovative methods and additional repair capacity has helped us make significant progress.

“This milestone demonstrates the impact of the investment we continue to make with our £70 million capital programme, and that it is delivering real results.

“We know potholes are a concern for residents, and we’re committed to making our roads safer, and more enjoyable, particularly ahead of winter so we’re in a much stronger position to cope with the conditions cold weather can bring.”

Now that pothole numbers have been reduced to a manageable level and are at their lowest in years, the highways team is moving from a reactive repair approach to a strategy focused on preventing defects before they develop.

As part of this approach, we are adopting a “fix before they fail” programme to help prepare Derbyshire’s roads for winter. Repairs will be targeted at key locations, including busy junctions, bends and other areas showing early signs of deterioration.

Sites will be identified using information from our annual road condition surveys, combined with the local knowledge and expertise of our dedicated highways inspectors.

A statement said: “By carrying out preventative repairs at the right time, we can help protect road surfaces from the effects of snow, ice and adverse weather, reducing the likelihood of future defects and helping to keep Derbyshire moving throughout the winter months.”

For more information on the pothole repair process visit: Pothole repair programme – Derbyshire County Council.