It’s the very essence of a double-whammy. Another wet winter followed by freezing conditions means the pothole backlog is once again threatening crisis for our highways, the indispensable backbone of Britain. At the same time, local authority budgets continue their year-on-year reductions.
Car-damaging, bike-toppling, ankle-turning potholes are the bane of road-users and local authorities alike. But if the road ahead does not look promising, you need to talk to road preservation experts Velocity. Fast.
Official figures reveal that councils filled in two million potholes at a cost of £99 million during 2013, but the Asphalt Industry Alliance has predicted that it will take 11 years and £10 billion to clear up Britain’s existing pothole problem – and that figure stretches to 17 years in Wales.
It’s a rising crisis that calls for new thinking. As the adage goes, do what you’ve always done and you’ll get what you’ve always got. That’s why local authorities are increasingly turning to Velocity to deliver a speedy, reliable and long-lasting solution to their potholes backlog.
A ‘hole’ host of facts
Here’s a few Velocity facts to think about:
• Velocity’s machines can permanently repair a pothole in about two minutes – a fraction of the time it takes a conventional repair gang to do the job manually.
• The use of high-speed patching techniques means the vehicles are capable of carrying out up to 150 long-lasting pothole repairs each day. That’s about 750 a week!
• According to the Asphalt Industry Alliance, the average pothole repair ranges from £35 in Wales to £55 in England. But a Velocity repair will cost an average of around £18.
Velocity’s new-generation, computer-controlled machines use high-velocity air to clean potholes, seal the defects and introduce a specially-formulated mix of aggregates and bitumen emulsions. The process leaves a permanent, level repair that is instantly ready to take vehicles of up to 44 tonnes.
As heat is not involved in the repair, this greener method involves exceptionally low CO2 emissions. The process produces minimal waste material and causes no further damage to the road base.
The process isn’t just used to remove defects, as it is an excellent preventative tool to halt road surface deterioration.
Suitable for rural and urban roads, the system can be adapted for repairs to potholes, edge deterioration, depressions, cracking, crazing and extending the life of worn conventional repairs.
A quick word from our customers
Velocity isn’t just a quick word. It’s the watchword for road preservation. And don’t just take our word for it.
Kent County Council is one of our satisfied customers. Highway District Manager Steve Rivers said: “Our Highways team has been using Velocity’s high pressure patching process across the county for a number of years. Over this time, a greater understanding of the process and its benefits has allowed it to be targeted to work effectively, to provide long-term and durable repairs to the rural road network. This type of repair can be carried out quickly, reducing disruption to traffic and I believe it is a valuable addition to our toolkit.”
Phil Bush, Highway Operations Manager for North Somerset Council, adds: “Velocity is another tool in our armoury to make our road maintenance budget go as far as possible. We simply wouldn’t have been able to repair the type of defects we had to anything like the same extent by traditional methods.”
For more details about Velocity’s services or to arrange a FREE TRIAL, please visit www.velocitypatching.com or call the Velocity sales team 0191 565 4400.