Pothole repairs doubled in Hertfordshire thanks to funding
Nearly £4 million was allocated from the Government's Pothole Fund
Hertfordshire County Council say the number of pothole repairs they've carried out has been doubled, thanks to nearly £4 million of funding from the Government's Pothole Fund.
16,556 potholes have been fixed since the beginning of June 2023, when use of the funding began to take place.
That's up to the 31st of October, and has covered 82% of the Council's targeted total of 20,000 potholes.
It's now hoped that they can reach an expected 40,000 pothole repairs this year, after seeing repairs soar.
Cllr Phil Bibby, Executive Member for Highways and Transport at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “We have taken the opportunity over the recent warmer months to fix and prevent potholes countywide. The Pothole Fund has enabled us to continue with this work, ensuring that our roads are fit for winter, ensuring that Hertfordshire has the infrastructure our communities need.”
In addition to completing the repairs on Hertfordshire's roads, the council's also trialling new equipment and techniques, including thermal patching - which is thought to be less noisy, and heats the surface before mixing existing and new road material.
This is thought to be particularly useful at night-time or when restricted hours are needed to complete the repair.
A new JCB pothole pro is also being used, which is designed to cut the road surface where a pothole's formed allowing for "a watertight repair."
The new tech then helps to brush up and collect waste.
It's hoped these measures will "expand the lifespan of the road".