Hertfordshire County Council has announced that under the new administration's 100 day plan, an alternative approach to pothole repair on residential streets will be trialled in the county between 23 June and 4 July.

The new approach will involve highways crews identifying and fixing the worst potholes, looking for other issues in the same section of road that could cause potholes in the future and fixing them too, that same day. It's anticipated that this way of working could reduce costs, provide a better service for residents with less disruption, keep our roads in a better and safer condition for longer and prevent potholes forming in the first place. 

The two-week trial will take place in residential areas in Abbots Langley, Leavesden, Garston and part of North Watford with the potential for it to be rolled out in other areas if evaluation of the trial shows it to be effective and cost efficient. 

The crews will use the Roadmender machine on the trial, which uses asphalt to fix potholes and other damage to roads and then seals the area, rather like a plaster.

Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Cabinet Member for Highways at Hertfordshire County Council, said: 

"We know potholes and the condition of our roads matters to our residents, and our job is to make sure that they can travel around the county as safely and with as little disruption as possible. Potholes are of particular concern to cyclists, so ensuring as many at one spot are done at the same time is important. By trialling this new approach, we hope to have more impact in one visit than we have had in the past. Whatever we learn from these two weeks will help us work up new approaches to this national problem and improve everyday journeys for our residents."