Devon drivers could soon see smoother roads under new trial

Devon County Council has begun a seven-week trial to tackle potholes more widely across the county.

Instead of fixing only the most urgent road defects, repair teams will fill all potholes in chosen trial areas.

Work has already started in parts of Barnstaple, Hatherleigh, Chagford and North Tawton.

The trial runs through the rest of September and October.

READ NEXT: ‘Something needs to be done’ as locals call for Tavistock ring road over congestion

Highways inspectors, who are trained and fully accredited, will now record every pothole within 500 metres of a reported one.

This means holes that would not have met repair criteria before are now being fixed.

Simon Kane, Contract Manager for Devon Highways, said: “We are adding additional value into the Highway network by doing repairs over and above what we would traditionally do.”

He also explained that the two teams working at North Tawton were all local people repairing local roads: “The two teams working here today are all local people from our depots in Okehampton and Merton and are proud as punch to be adding extra value to the Devon Highways.”

In one case, five potholes qualified under the old rules, but ten were repaired under the new trial.

The material used is heated to around 240 degrees when it leaves the machine, sets almost instantly once applied, and is topped with an anti-skid surface for safety.

Councillor Dan Thomas, Cabinet Member for Highways, visited a repair site near North Tawton on Tuesday.

He said: “The fact we are here mending parts of the road that would not have met our previous policy means it is going really well. I brought to Cabinet the idea that we would run this trial to see if we can make the efficiencies and cost savings needed but also to end up with smoother roads.”

Councillor Sue Davies, who represents Hatherleigh and Chagford, also welcomed the scheme. She said residents are often frustrated when crews leave some potholes untreated and hopes this new method will prevent that.
If successful, the approach could be expanded across Devon, which has one of the largest road networks in the country.