
11th March 2020
Government budget to pledge £2.5 billion to fill 50 million potholes.
New technology available to help local councils respond to pothole crisis following budget announcement.
Harry Pearl, CEO of Roadmender Asphalt discusses the new technology.
The chancellor will reveal his 2020 budget today. Rishi Sunak has promised significant investment in transport infrastructure and it is expected that the budget will include a £2.5 billion pothole fund. This is in keeping with the government's campaign commitment to level up the country and invest in infrastructure across the country.
It is a timely investment as new technologies have been developed that can help the government realise their promise. Innovation in the sector, such as Roadmender Asphalt's Elastomac, is a cheaper, quicker and more environmentally friendly method for repairing roads and filling potholes.
Harry Pearl, CEO of Roadmender Asphalt - one of the UK's most innovative road repair providers - discusses the technology that can be used to fill 50 million potholes.
"With huge pledges being made, the government are taking the issues of potholes seriously. This will provide innovative councils more scope to take advantage cost-effective techniques to repair such road defects.
Asphalt application has long been a laborious process, with vast amounts of transportation and waste material making traditional processes increasingly unsustainable. Our new innovative product Elastomac could provide a simple way to carry out permanent patch repairs for less than £20/sq. The product is a hot applied rubber modified mastic resin that's made from more than 60% recycled waste materials and is ideal for repairing cracks, joints, potholes, fretting and other shallow surface defects. While less expensive than traditional repairs, it also aims to provide Local Councils with a greener, safer solution with no saw cutting, jack hammering, dust, Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome, or waste to carry away and deal with. Requiring 70% less material and waste, Elastomac recycles 11 end of life tyres into every tonne, making its offering more durable and time effective. All of these factors make Elastomac far more environmentally friendly than regular asphalt practices.
This will help Britain's transport industry to continue to thrive and grow. It is a very exciting time and we look forward to working with ambitious councils to help improve the quality of Britain's roads."
If you would like any additional commentary, or if you would like to speak to Harry Pearl, please feel free to get in touch.
Roadmender Asphalt web site - www.roadmenderasphalt.com/