New resurfacing technology for smoother safer journeys

Drivers will enjoy safer and smoother roads in the North East, as an innovative and environmentally-friendly way of resurfacing roads comes to UK.

For the first time in the UK, new machinery  will be used by Highways England’s contractors A-one+, which allows the underlying layers of the road to be recycled, churning up the old surface material, combining it with new material within the body of the machine then laying it back down immediately on the road behind.

The technology, which can resurface 1,000 tonnes per hour (in comparison to an average of 100 tonnes per hour using conventional methods), will be used to resurface just over a mile of the A1 at Brownieside in Northumberland.

There’s a  75% reduction in the amount of quarried stone used on the job, a 66% reduction in the amount of waste taken to landfill and there are 70% fewer lorry trips to and from site.

Highways England Project Manager Steve Bishop said: “This new technology is brilliant news for the thousands of drivers that use motorways and major A roads in the North East, who will benefit from smoother and safer journeys.

“There are lots of benefits to using this new way of working. It means we can resurface larger areas of road, there are fewer construction vehicle trips and the road surface is designed to last for at least 10 years, meaning that we shouldn’t need to go back to carry out further repairs any time soon meaning less disruption for drivers.

“This is the first machine of its type in the UK but the process is already successfully used in the USA, France and China. We are always working with our partners to trial new technologies that will help us to minimise disruption to drivers while we carry out essential road maintenance.”

Work at Brownieside started on Tuesday 2 August and is expected to last 3 weeks, with both lanes on the southbound carriageway being resurfaced.

Temporary barriers are in place on the northbound carriageway of the A1 for the duration of the project to allow drivers to travel in both directions using a contraflow arrangement.

 

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