Cumbria County Council is harnessing extra resources to help repair damage to the county’s roads caused by freezing winter temperatures.

To fix potholes, carry out emergency road repairs, and seal worn sections of the road, the council will be using innovative jet patching machines.

This innovative method uses velocity patching to repair damaged road surfaces quickly and cost-effectively, addressing high numbers of defects. 

Using a high-powered jet patching machine, a cold bitumen emulsion is forced into cracks and crevices under high pressure to fill potholes.

It takes just a few minutes, but the intensive bottom-up layering makes for a durable repair without causing further damage to the road.

The initiative has been implemented with Velocity Ltd in the Allerdale, Eden, and South Lakes regions, as well as starting in May in Copeland, Barrow, and Carlisle, and is scheduled to run until the end of September 2022.

Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “The Highways team is repairing the roads across the county using an innovative jet patching process that is far less expensive than traditional patching techniques.

“These teams will work with more traditional pothole teams to repair carriageway defects and potholes throughout the region.

“With this particular process, there is no excavation, no waste, no need for road closures, and because there is no heat involved, the process is also extremely low in carbon emissions.

“Once the repairs are made, the road is immediately ready to take vehicles, minimising disruptions to the public and provide a long-lasting repair.

"We would like to thank all the residents, visitors and businesses across Cumbria, for their support and patience while we complete road repairs.”