Hillingdon Council will be making faster, more efficient, and environmentally friendly road repairs after taking delivery of an innovative new machine.
The ‘Somerford 800’ arrived earlier this month and can handle more than double the load and carry out double the number of daily repairs compared to its predecessor, meaning less disruption to highway users.
Like the former machine, the Somerford uses a fast-setting waterproof liquid called ‘Elastomac’ which is quicker to install and allows roads to be reopened just 10 minutes after the repair. The system also uses 80 per cent less energy than traditional asphalt repairs, uses 85 per cent less carbon and halves the overall costs.
Elastomac is a made from 70 per cent recycled materials, including road surface shavings and up to nine old car tyres in each tonne. This is poured directly into a pothole with no need to widen it, no compaction and there is also no waste to remove as no excavations are required, unlike traditional repair methods.
Cllr Steve Tuckwell, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth, said: “This new machine is a real game-changer for Hillingdon. It allows us to tackle more defects faster and more efficiently, reducing disruption for road users while keeping costs down.
“It’s a clear example of the council investing in smarter, more effective solutions to maintain our roads and ensure a high standard of service.
“Traditional pothole repairs can be slow and resource-intensive, but using this new equipment lets us deal with smaller issues early, preventing them from becoming bigger, more costly problems. By tackling defects promptly, we’re keeping our roads in great condition and continuing to put residents first with the reliable service they expect.”
Elastomac works on both asphalt and concrete highways and is designed for fixing defects to cracks, joints, potholes, patching, surrounds to iron work, fretting, wheel rutting, alligator cracking, kerb channels, and speed ramps.
To find out more about highways improvements or to report an issue, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/highway-issues.
