A pavement association has praised the NSW government for trying a new road maintenance product to protect against flood damage
The Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AfPA) says it welcomes a new trial by the New South Wales government in response to road damage caused by extreme weather events in the state.
The trial aims to test ways of fixing rising rates of potholes in record time using cold mix asphalt, allowing for faster drying and application in wet weather conditions. The method has become useful in combatting flooding events.
The NSW government estimates that since March this year there have been more than 152,000 potholes filled, including almost 18,500 in Sydney roads alone.
The AfPA says innovations like this remain one of its key strategic priorities as it continues working alongside government to ensure that the latest improvements in technology, resilience and sustainability are at the forefront of infrastructure.
“One of the biggest challenges facing repair crews using traditional repair methods is the need to wait until the road is dry before being able to fill a pothole. The prolonged wet weather also increases the risk of the same pothole re-forming,” NSW metropolitan roads minister Natalie Ward says.
“We’ve been using a new cold mix product on some of our worst potholes and it has already produced outstanding results – our road crews haven’t needed to refill a single pothole since they started using this product.”
AfPA CEO Carlos Rial says: “We always welcome the introduction and adoption of road maintenance innovations into government projects. Given the frequency and devastation of flooding events across the state and the country more broadly, there is a clear need to trial new solutions which keep our infrastructure safer for longer.
“We applaud the NSW government’s commitment to keeping the state safe and moving and look forward to continuing to work alongside government to deliver these urgent maintenance projects.”