Countdown begins for Herts Council to tackle huge 20,000-pothole target
The Council has ten days left to stick to its pothole target ahead of the new year
The countdown begins to fix up the roads in Hertfordshire ahead of a busier period on the roads, the colder weather, and the end of their projected target.
Since the government announced increased funding to reduce to the number of potholes across the country, for which Hertfordshire was awarded £3,9 million, Hertfordshire County Council has been working hard to get the roads ready.
Cllr Phil Bibby, Executive Member for Highways and Transport at Hertfordshire County Council, said: "This time of year we get freezing conditions, wet weather, which are enemies of the roads, and they do damage roads, particularly those which are past their 'sell-by date'."
Their projected target doubled to 20,000, thanks to additional funding, putting road quality across the county above the national average.
Last month, Hertfordshire was allocated a further £87.8m for potholes and resurfacing, providing long term funding over the next 11 years.
Cllr Bibby said: "What the pothole fund enables us to do this year is double the amount of potholes that we fix."
"We can fix the large and smaller potholes, and we would have fixed an additional 20,000 by the end of this year."
The council has been trialling new methods of pothole and road repair, including new and greener methods.
One of those is the JCB Pothole Pro, which can repair potholes faster and over a larger area, or the Roadmender, a technique that uses asphalt made from recycled tyres and Thermal Patching.
The aim of trialling new methods is to ensure durability, and to evaluate which technique works best and for what surface.
The Council will be focusing on both roads and foot or cycle paths, however busy roads remain the primary concern.
"We have to prioritise the carriageways because we need to keep traffic moving, but we are very conscious that potholes on cycleways and footpaths are equally as important to people cycling, parents with children in buggies, or mobility transport", added Cllr Bibby.