Potholes: New Oxfordshire trial compares repair methods

Different methods of repairing potholes are being compared during a trial on an Oxfordshire road.

The trial is taking place on a 1km stretch (0.6 miles) of Hanney Road in Steventon, chosen due to the number of road defects that need to be repaired.

Methods include using a machine called a Dragon Patcher and applying mastic asphalt. The results will be monitored over the coming years.

Almost 32,000 potholes were repaired by contractors in Oxfordshire in 2022.

Rich Lovewell, from contractor Milestone Infrastructure, said the past winter was "the worst season I can remember" for potholes on the county's roads.

More than double the usual number were reported, something which he put down to "perfect weather" for potholes - "a cold winter followed by a very, very wet winter".

Some methods like the Dragon Patcher, an all-in-one truck with a flame on the front, designed to speed up repairs and suited to more rural areas, are already in use on Oxfordshire's roads.

Also being trialled is mastic asphalt which is a hot flowable material made from recycled tyres.

New machines will be among those being demonstrated, including the JCB Pothole Pro which cuts, crops and cleans a pothole mechanically and is being considered for use by the council.

Councillor Andrew Gant, highways chief at Oxfordshire County Council, says the local authority "wants to do better" in dealing with the issue.

"It's about getting the best possible outcome for the available resource," he said.

Mr Gant said it cost the council £45m a year to keep the county's roads from getting any worse, with only a third of that coming from central government.

The Department for Transport said: "It's the responsibility of local authorities to maintain their local highway networks, and to help them do that we're investing more than £5bn from 2020 to 2025, with Oxfordshire receiving over £66m between 2022 and 2025 for highway maintenance alone."

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