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New Thermal pothole repair machine set for Northants

Thermal pothole repair machine alongside Northamptonshire County Council Leader Matt Golby and other Northamptonshire council leaders.

Plans to invest in two new thermal road patching machines and a Roadmaster jet patching machine is set to be discussed at Northamptonshire County Council’s cabinet meeting next week (10th March 2020).

The innovative thermal road patching machines can triple the repair rate of conventional methods whilst being more environmentally friendly and cost efficient, costing just £35 per square metre compared to £90 per square metre using current methods.

The thermal heater works by melting the existing poor road surface and producing a permanent, heat-sealed, seamless repair which re-establishes the original quality of the road.

Each 2x1m patch takes around 8-12 minutes to complete and requires only a minimum amount of new material, resulting in almost zero waste. Patches can also be joined together to repair larger areas of failed surfacing.

The new technology aims to reduce carbon emissions, minimise disruption to the public and traffic, and facilitate a faster repair, repairing up to 100 potholes a day compared to 40 using traditional road repair methods.

County Council Cabinet Member for Place, Highways and the Environment, Cllr Jason Smithers said: “We know that a good road system is a priority for the people of the county and we are delighted to have the opportunity to buy the technology to make this happen.

“The easing of the County Council’s financial constraints – through good budget management – has allowed this ‘invest to save’ project to take place and we are certain investment in the new technology will bring long-term financial benefits.

“As well as an increase in the quantity of road repairs there will also be an increase in the quality, as the road repair system will be much more efficient.”

The new machine has already been trialled in Wellingborough, East Northants, and is scheduled to begin work in other areas in March.

The timetable for the road repairs can be followed via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Comments

At 16:29 on 11th March 2020, commented:

Anything that makes the process quicker and more effective should be applauded. I look forward to pot hole free roads...........

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