Big plans to fix the UK's potholes

The government is exploring the use of drones and 3D printing technology to fix potholes, and councils receive funding to improve traffic light systems to cut congestion.

The multimillion-pound scheme was announced by the Transport Secretary and will see councils across England receiving a share of £15 million in government funding to improve their traffic light systems to cut congestion, boost safety and reduce journey times and emissions.

Additionally, a new initiative called the Digital Intelligence Brokerage (DIB) is working with small and medium enterprises outside of the transport sector and to speed up research into new and innovative ways to fix potholes.

The DIB is already exploring graphite nanoparticles in asphalt to reduce surface cracks and the use of bio-bitumen materials to create environmentally friendly road surfaces, which contribute to the decarbonisation of highways maintenance. It is also planning automated repair operations to minimise risk to road maintenance workers.

We can all hope that in the coming years, our roads will be better. The plans aim to cut journey times, reduce emissions and keep the UK at the forefront of technological developments in roads maintenance.

The £15 million announced builds on the £1.125 billion already made available to local authorities for local road maintenance. Councils are expected to consider how to future-proof their local road networks and prepare for technological innovations.

In addition to these measures, DfT has also today announced the development of a new data standard for local road condition monitoring, which will allow councils to use multiple technologies to carry out road condition surveys for national reporting purposes. This will lead to more accurate and useful data being collected.

£100,000 of funding is also being put towards the Transport Technology Forum. The open forum is funded by the DfT and Innovate UK and brings together road operators and suppliers from across the industry to offer their skills and experience to drive technological advances in the traffic management sector.