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Potholes are being fixed in two minutes in an innovative new approach being trialled by a London council.
Up to 120 road repairs a day are being done in the east London borough of Redbridge using a new technique called “spray injection patching”.
The three-step process starts with pressurised air being pumped into the pothole to remove dirt and debris.
The hole is then sprayed and coated with cold bitumen to cover and seal any cracks, followed by a final layer of aggregate applied at high speed.
The entire process – which does not require a road to be closed - takes just a couple of minutes to finish. Vehicles can pass over the repaired section of the road soon afterwards.
The technique is also better for the environment as it avoids the need to excavate the hole or use heat to carry out the repair, meaning there are “minimal carbon emissions”.
![](https://static.standard.co.uk/2023/11/03/15/00/Potholes%20Redbridge.jpg)
The spray injection patching machine, made by road repair specialists Velocity, has carried out almost 2,200 pothole repairs during the 12-week trial.
Redbridge council leader Jas Athwal said: “Potholes are a nuisance and a danger to road users, and we understand how difficult they can make journeys.
“The spray injection patching machine is helping pave the way and, where suitable we hope to continue using it on our roads, alongside our resurfacing programme and traditional repairs.
“We hope the success of this trial will encourage further use of this low carbon solution to potholes and instil greater confidence and opportunities for active travel on our roads.”
![](https://static.standard.co.uk/2023/11/03/15/33/Spray%20Injection%20Patching%20Machine.jpg.jpg)
Last month the RAC motoring organisation revealed that eight in 10 drivers nationwide reported having to take sudden evasive action to avoid hitting potholes.
It said anger with the poor state of Britain’s local roads had reached a nine-year peak, with 49 per cent of respondents to its annual report on motoring listing it as a top concern.
Some 67 per cent of drivers told the RAC that the condition of the local roads they used had deteriorated in the last 12 months.
At the Tory party conference in September, the Government promised action on potholes as part of a wider approach to ending the so-called “war on the motorist”.
It announced support for councils to introduce more lane rental schemes, where utility companies are required to pay to dig up the busiest roads at peak times.
Under the proposals, at least half of the extra money raised from these fees will go directly towards repairing road surfaces.
In London, Mayor Sadiq Khan invested an additional £10m in a scheme that aims to better co-ordinate roadworks to minimise delays.
London councils say they face “huge challenges” maintaining the capital’s roads due to a lack of Government funding, with the highways maintenance backlog now standing at £1.59 billion.