Longer lasting road surfacing has been laid on a busy section of the A43 near Silverstone in Northamptonshire in a trial of a new asphalt mix.
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Highways England hopes that the mix – which is held together by a bitumen called ‘Styrelf Long Life’ – will reduce long term costs and CO2 emissions by requiring fewer repairs. The material is designed to be more resistant to the elements and oxidise slower than other bitumens, meaning surfaces stay flexible for longer to prevent cracks from forming.
Highways England’s chief highways engineer Mike Wilson said: “Longer lasting roads mean fewer roadworks, less disruption for motorists and a more sustainable network for everyone.”
The strategic road network operator worked with Tarmac and Total to lay the material which has been trialled on sections of road in the Netherlands and Germany. The A43 project is the first time it has been used with high traffic levels in the UK.
Tarmac’s technical director Brian Kent described the asphalt mix as “essentially an anti-ageing cream for roads”. He said: “Through preventing cracks to the surface of the road caused by elements such as air and water, the longer life bitumen has the ability to reduce disruption, deliver long term carbon savings and importantly help network operators to better manage their assets.”
Technical staff from Total will regularly measure the performance of the material against a control section of surfacing laid at the same time on the A43, before its use is considered elsewhere in the country.
Meanwhile further north, contractor Eurovia is trialling the use of exclusively electric plant on a project which started last month to deliver public realm and highways improvements in Macclesfield town centre for Cheshire East Council.
The initiative supports the council’s aim to achieve carbon neutrality in its own operations by 2025. Materials removed as part of the Castle Street project – designed by Ringway Jacobs – will also be recycled and reused while LED streetlights will be installed to improve energy efficiency.
Eurovia Contracting’s manager Matthew Stubbings said: “We are incredibly excited to be able to create an all electric site team. It is something even six months ago seemed like a very distant goal.”
(Photograph: Total)
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