Ask
the Contract Director!
We understand that as members of the public, you probably
have a lot of burning questions regarding the roads around Buckinghamshire.
Well, we’re giving you the opportunity to get your questions answered by
Transport for Buckinghamshire’s Contract Director!
In each blog post in this exciting new series, we will be
focusing on a different frequently asked question. This week, we’re answering:
What
are you doing about all these potholes?
Grab a cup of tea, sit back and relax – we’re about to
give you all the information you could ever need to know about potholes.
Spoiler alert – there’s a lot!
What
is a pothole and how is one made?
No, it’s not just a crater in the road that leaves you
feeling overly frustrated on your drive to work. No, it’s not the entrance to a
tunnel between here and Australia either (yes, this has been a genuine
suggestion in the past).
A pothole is where the surface of the road has been
eroded and a hollow has formed.
Potholes are most usually formed through a process called
the ‘freeze-thaw’ cycle. As roads age, they become more porous, having been
worn down by traffic. As the weather gets colder, the potholes can become
filled with ice, forcing the hole to expand and push the tarmac up and out.
Gaps are created in the tarmac when the ice thaws and turns back into water,
and these gaps get bigger each time it freezes and thaws – this weakens the
road. These gaps then cave in when traffic travels over the road, creating a
pothole.
How
do we find out about the potholes?
We can find out about potholes across the county in a
couple of ways. Members of the public can report potholes to us via our online
reporting tool, ‘Fix My Street'. Reports received by us are sent to the
relevant Local Area Technician (LAT) to be inspected.
And speaking of our LAT’s, they proactively inspect their
local areas for potholes and other road defects and highway issues, alongside
our Highway Inspectors. All defects are inspected and assessed to determine
whether a repair is required, and if so, what kind of repair it might need.
The roads are inspected regularly according to a
schedule. This means a lot of potholes will be picked up by these inspections
and programmed for repair.
How
do we determine which potholes are in need of repair?
Around 2,000 potholes are repaired each month – yes,
really!
Not every defect on the highway requires an immediate
repair. All issues that are reported to us are reviewed within 10 days.
All repairs are based on the risk they pose to the public
and depend on:
· - The extent, depth and surface area
· - The volume and speed of traffic
· - The location such as junctions and bends
· - Forecast weather conditions
We aim to make emergencies safe within two hours and
other priority repairs within two, five or 28 days. Non-urgent defects will be
added to future planned works.
What
is the point of a temporary repair? Surely it’s better to fix it permanently
the first time around?
It is, but sometimes a temporary repair is needed to make
the road safe until a permanent repair is possible.
How
do we fix a pothole?
When making a temporary pothole repair, the area around
the pothole needs cutting out to make a uniform shape with no jagged edges. The
pothole is then cleaned out and coated with a layer of binder to act as an
adhesive. Next, the hole is filled with hot road surfacing material which is
then raked and compacted. Once the material has cooled, the road can be reopened
to traffic.
On rural roads, potholes are fixed using a technique
called ‘spray injection patching’. These repairs come with a 12 month
guarantee. Repairs made with a jet patching machine are quicker, more
efficient, long lasting, low carbon emitting and applied cold so that they are
ready to drive on immediately.
Why
do we fix one pothole, but not another pothole on the same road?
This is a question we are asked on a regular basis. When
we fill one pothole but not another just a few metres away, many people become
frustrated with us – and the seeming lack of common sense behind this has been
criticised.
The reason behind repairing one pothole but not another
on the same stretch of road is very simple; we have a finite amount of finance,
and therefore workforce, to fill the potholes. We have to use them effectively
to ensure those requiring urgent repair are fixed first.
If we were to use resources filling in a non-urgent
repair, a pothole of a higher priority may not be able to be repaired. Safety
is our first concern, so urgent fixes must be done first. This means that sometimes,
we will fix one safety critical pothole on a road, but not another.
Can
I fix a pothole myself?
Well, we’ve already answered that one for you! Have a
read here: https://tfblatestnews.blogspot.com/2019/01/can-i-repair-pothole-myself-ask.html
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