The way we are looking after the county’s roads is changing thanks to new high-tech practices.
The county council’s highways teams are embracing a range of new ways of working to be more effective and save money.
Swift action on potholes
To help us deal with potholes and other road defects even more quickly, we are trialling software that can assess the size and depth of a pothole, just by snapping a picture with a mobile phone.
When the team receive them it gives an accurate reading, so they can schedule the repair and calculate the material needed.
The council has also trialled the new JCB Pothole Pro. The all-in-one machine can cut out the defect, remove waste material and sweep the area – all tasks that would ordinarily have to be completed manually. The company claims it can reduce repair times to as little as eight minutes. Only two such machines are currently on trial in the country!
Last year, we put in new hotboxes at our depots to store hot tarmac to be used for pothole repairs. Now, instead of each gang having to go and pick up hot material each day, it can be delivered in large batches to the depot, and they can set off with it all ready.
Staying mobile
Each highways officer now works with hand-held devices linked up to all the systems they need to access. They can now inspect defects and raise jobs for repair from the roadside, without having to return to the office.
Residents’ reports can now be assessed and repairs organised, much quicker and when out on the road. When teams are out on routine inspections, they can see the reports nearby on the device and inspect them too, often preventing a separate visit.
Wireless connections
Currently, every traffic light junction has its own fixed landline connection to operate. Recently we’ve been trialling a system of grouping nearby lights together wirelessly, to reduce the number of lines needed, therefore cutting costs.
This wireless system has been tested on Broadgate in Lincoln, and proved just as effective as having separate wired connections. More junctions are now being upgraded to wireless, with the savings set to cover the costs of the new equipment in as little as five years.
Go with the flow
Our cameras that monitor traffic problems around the county are also being upgraded. By summer 2021, new cameras will be in place on the 25 busiest roads and junctions. They automatically monitor the number and type of vehicles travelling, so we can track journey times and alter signal timings where needed, helping traffic flow better. We also use the data to help with future road improvement projects.
Karen Cassar, assistant director for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We’ve been keen to keep our essential road maintenance going during the pandemic, and by issuing our highways officers with mobile devices and access to the same software and reports, they can now work from the roadside to get reports assessed quickly and repairs scheduled. With over 5,500 miles of road to maintain, we’re always looking for innovate new ways of working that’ll help us be more efficient and keep Lincolnshire moving and our roads safe.”
New lease of life for Holdingham Roundabout
Built in the 1970s, Holdingham Roundabout is one of our busiest junctions and has met the county’s needs for nearly five decades.
Work is now underway to modernise and improve the roundabout so it can continue serving as one of Lincolnshire’s most important stretches of road.
This massive, ten-month project will see new lanes added and traffic lights installed at the busy roundabout. When completed, these changes will not only improve safety and journey times for drivers, but also unlock future growth potential in and around Sleaford.
The project team will be using nearly 10,000 tonnes of tarmac and other materials, installing over a mile of new drainage pipes and 23 new traffic signals. This makes it one of the county’s biggest improvement schemes for 2021.
Elsewhere in the county, construction of the final section of Grantham’s new relief road will begin this spring and the new A46 Dunholme/Welton Roundabout is set to open in the coming weeks.