After last November’s surprise reshuffle at the Department for Transport (DfT), infrastructure operators will be waiting to see what the new Secretary of State might have in store for the sector. Highways teams especially will be hoping that the recent suggestion of multi-year funding settlements for local roads stays on the table.
The visibility and certainty of longer-term budgets could be a gamechanger for councils, allowing them to move away from reactive repairs towards a preventative, proactive approach to investment. So, if the spring Spending Review lives up to expectations, how can local highways teams make the most of this opportunity? The emphasis has to be on increasing the durability of our roads. Roads that last longer mean fewer maintenance cycles, less disruption for users and a lower whole-life carbon footprint.
Luckily, we already have the technology and the knowledge of how to evolve specifications to deliver this. Polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) is a good example. By boosting the performance of the road surface, PMBs reduce the risk of both rutting & cracking and extend the assets lifespan. Trials show that some PMB mixes could extend a road’s life from seven years to 15 or even 20 years. Research into how different types of materials will fare when faced with future challenges is well underway. That includes changing user behaviour as rising numbers of heavier EV vehicles increase the risk of roads rutting, and more extreme weather – from hotter days to record-breaking rainfall. We are evolving how we lay surfacing too to manage the impact of these conditions.
The point is that we have the materials and the techniques ready to go. They may require more investment upfront, but with multi-year funding, network operators will be able to look beyond short-term horizons – thinking about the benefits and return in the long run from a cost, carbon and community perspective. If the highways industry gets its wish this spring, we’re ready to deliver.
Located in Kent, Chelsfield Recycling is one of four recycling depots within the Aggregates and Asphalt division. Home to the management of road planings, we crush, and screen used materials to process them into high-quality RAP (recycled asphalt planings).
It’s a big year for our West London plant, so we’re taking a trip down memory lane to reflect on the progress, challenges and changes over the years and to hear from our great people who were there from the very start.
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You might be surprised to learn that we run our own shipping service, so we’d like you to meet our in-house shipping team – Jo Barker-Collins, Marine and Rail Replenishment Manager, and Joe Howe, Shipping Assistant. Jo qualified with a Diploma in Ship and Port Agency in 2021, and Joe is following in her footsteps.