High-tech solutions for Hertfordshire potholes

High-tech solutions for better roads - that’s the aim of a new Lib Dem initiative to improve pothole repair in Hertfordshire.

County council leaders have trialled cutting-edge machinery which could fix faults more quickly and efficiently.

It’s the latest step in the major revamp of pothole repair launched by the Liberal Democrat administration after taking office in May.

The trial, on rural and residential roads in both Stevenage and northern Hertfordshire, involved the latest model of the Archway Roadmaster machine.

It uses a technique known as ‘spray injection patching’.

A high-powered jet is deployed to clean, fill and seal potholes in one swift operation.

This reduces disruption for road users, and delivers longer-lasting repairs.

The Roadmaster process is also controlled entirely from the cab, enabling crews to work more quickly and repair more potholes.

It’s the first time this equipment has been tested in Hertfordshire.

The underlying aim is to create a new repair system in which crews fix all the potholes within a local area on a single visit.

The Roadmaster trial is the second of three pilot schemes, using different approaches, to establish the most cost-effective way of achieving this.

Lib Dem councillor Helen Campbell, deputy executive member for highways at Hertfordshire County Council, said:

“The Tories allowed our roads to rot and crumble when they ran this authority.

“Residents are still paying the price for those 25 long years of neglect and complacency.

“Liberal Democrats are determined to clear up the mess the Conservatives left behind.

“The Roadmaster trial demonstrates how we will use the latest tech, and innovative methods, to fix potholes better and faster.

“We will carefully analyse the results and deliver a repair system which is truly fit for purpose.

“Lib Dems are committed to giving Hertfordshire the decent roads people deserve”.