Additional Government funding of £377,600 has been announced for tackling potholes in Bracknell Forest.
Cold weather in February and March increased the incidence of potholes on Bracknell Forest’s roads. Unfortunately, it is normal for frosts and sub-zero temperatures to cause damage to road surfaces. Additional funding from central government for tackling road surface repairs has been announced, and this news is very welcome.
Bracknell Forest employs a team of dedicated highway inspectors who walk every footway and inspect every highway within the Borough at least once a year to identify defects. More heavily-used footways such as those in shopping areas or busy community areas are walked either monthly or three-monthly, and roads with higher traffic levels are inspected more frequently. In addition, the highways and transport team respond to reports from members of the public.
Remedial works to rectify defects, such as potholes or sunken sections of footway, identified by the inspectors are actioned by our highways contractor within 28 days, or sooner if the defect is hazardous. Sometimes, temporary pothole plugs are necessary to make safe inspected or reported defects until a lasting repair can be programmed. For example, permanent repairs cannot be made in very low temperatures. Bracknell Forest Council has countered the national fall in highway budgets by adding further local funding and working more efficiently.
Numerous machines have emerged over the years as manufacturers seek to develop and market the most efficient repair to potholes, whether measured as in terms of speed or CO2 reduction. The useability or benefit of this equipment will vary between highway authorities. Some vehicles or machines are more suited to strategic road networks where accessibility and long and continuous stretches of repair bring the claimed efficiencies. For highway authorities with generally mixed road types, including rural roads, pursuing a one size fits all approach to repairs is not practical.
As such, within Bracknell Forest we use various equipment for different settings:
- Jet-patching is where potholes are filled with pressured hot material which is affectively sprayed into the defect via a mobile vehicle and workforce. This works well on the rural network and during cyclical works. Complex and expensive traffic management can be reduced.
- Infrared patching of repairs is about to be trialled by Bracknell Forest. With these, existing, compromised asphalt is heated and replenished before being mixed with new asphalt and compacted into the defect. Again, the vehicle is mobile) and this has good recycling and CO2 reduction benefits.
- Conventional patching methods are still some of the best solutions to avoid reoccurrence of failures and they provide assurance on the quality of the end surface.
Specialist vehicles are very expensive, so equipment is hired in for specific batches of work. This approach provides useful flexibility and the opportunity to trial or use multiple methods. If residents have any specific concerns about the condition of Bracknell Forest’s footway and highway network, please send your enquiry with photos of the defect to the Council.
The on-line reporting form can be found using the following link: www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-transport/roads/road-repairs-and-issues/forms
Alternatively, you can contact Bracknell Forest’s customer services team on 01344 352000. Your enquiry can then be passed to Highways and Transport for further investigation by a highway inspector.