8:00am Friday 12th March 2010
By Jess Childs
A SPECIALIST team has been brought in to deal with a pothole crisis caused by the winter’s “big freeze”.
An innovative machine from Sunderland firm Velocity is working continuously on behalf of council service provider Amey.
Its presence is good news not only for motorists but also for Herefordshire Council, which was left with a £5.5 million bill following prolonged icy weather.
The 18-tonne lorry works 10 times quicker than traditional road crews and, at £10 per square metre compared to the national average of £65, it also costs less.
Sales manager Phil Lewis said: “We are a lot cheaper and a lot more environmentally friendly because there is no heat waste – we only have one lorry producing a bit of heat by the side of the road.”
The vehicle, along with driver and operator, uses compressed air, special road glue and chippings to repair holes in a single procedure without upsetting the surrounding tarmac.
Driver Chris Biddle said: “The process is quite unique and remarkably fast when we get a clear run.”
Herefordshire’s environment scrutiny committee reported 5,900 registered potholes last November and a further 1,111 emerged over the winter, leading to a plea for help financially from cabinet members to the Government this January.
Velocity has visited Herefordshire before but Mr Lewis said problems were worse for local authorities countrywide this year.
“Unfortunately, the potholes are breaking out all the time and causing more work. It has been terrible for them,” he said.
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