 Freezing conditions and heavy snowfall have caused significant disruption to the country’s road network. But as spring arrives the problems haven’t ended, says Mike Archer, National Contracting Director at Bardon Contracting
While snow and ice caused treacherous driving conditions for much of the UK this winter, the pressure was on for local authorities to keep vital transport links open. Councils struggled to clear roads under the widespread and continuing effects of the ‘big freeze’.
Behind the attention-grabbing headlines, teams of unsung heroes stepped in at short notice. Bardon Contracting utilised off-the-job teams to provide emergency supply chain support across the UK with essential logistics and manpower assistance.
Such extreme weather conditions rigorously test supply chain partnerships. Teamwork and flexibility are at the heart of Bardon Contracting’s client approach and, together with the support of our own reliable suppliers and in-house capabilities, we are able to provide clients with fast, effective and lasting solutions.
Lasting damage
Unfortunately, spring hasn’t brought any respite for local authorities. Our road network has suffered lasting damage, with an estimated two million potholes now on Britain’s roads – up from 1.5 million last year – caused mainly by the harsh winter.
Bardon Contracting has been working with several local authorities since the New Year on large numbers of pothole repairs and road maintenance jobs. Building on existing relationships which span several years and our track record in similar extreme weather conditions, teams have been working on behalf of the managing agent contractor around the county of Bedfordshire to deliver additional emergency repairs to the road network during February and March. Within one week we mobilised three patching crews who are now working full time across the county, providing on average an additional 180 quality repairs a day. Our Merstham operation has also undertaken similar works across Sussex and Surrey.
The national motorway network has not escaped either. Severe weather in January saw Bardon Contracting again called into action at short notice on the M40 motorway to deliver over 3,500 tonnes of patch repairs. Our immediate mobilisation of a large team of operatives combined with effective management of complex overnight closures led to minimal traffic disruption and impact on journey time reliability. As a result of the first phase of works being delivered successfully and our rapid response, we have been engaged in a second phase of repairs starting in March to deliver another 1,000 tonnes of repairs.
Of course, providing such emergency support is not a new concept. Winter maintenance issues have always required effective management by local authorities with appropriate supply chain support. But this year’s particularly severe conditions have certainly highlighted the challenges of balancing emergency repairs with long term maintenance goals. In addition to placing pressure on highways departments to keep roads passable, extreme weather exacerbated problems for authorities attempting to improve their road conditions.
The latest Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) report from the Asphalt Industry Alliance states that so far in 2010 1.4 million potholes have been filled but the report predicts that it could take years to clear the backlog and repair the damage.
Under increasing budgetary pressures and facing one of the biggest emergency road repairs challenges for decades, local authorities are caught between a rock and a hard place. Many are effecting short term emergency repairs to meet widespread public demand and limit paying out hefty compensation claims from motorists, which are estimated to top £35 million each year. While this approach is perhaps understandable, it is not a long term solution to address the state of the UK’s road network.
Vital role
So what can be done to improve the situation? According to the Asphalt Industry Alliance, despite some additional funds from central government, the current crisis results from historical underfunding over a number of years. One of the AIA’s key objectives is to work with the government and local authorities towards what it calls a ‘significant commitment to stopping the rot’.
Of course, the asphalt and road surfacing industry is also set to play a vital role. Bardon Contracting is committed to developing cost-effective, safe, reliable and sustainable highway and infrastructure services to meet the growing challenges faced by local authorities. Asphalt suppliers, such as our sister company Bardon Asphalt, continue to develop improved, more sustainable and durable surfacing materials. It is only through collaboration between all parties involved in the different aspects of road maintenance and repair, including its budget provision and spending, that we can hope to put into practice the hard-learned lessons of past winters and really make a difference.
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