New road resurfacing technique trial

17 June 2015

Transport and Technical Services is trialling a different type of road resurfacing which is quicker and more cost effective.

Route de Mont Mado is going to be resurfaced using a technique that is new to Jersey but has been used extensively in the UK and France. Work to strengthen the road will take place in June ahead of the resurfacing which is due to start on 6 July.

The new process costs about a third of the price of traditional resurfacing. It also takes about a tenth of the time to install. The existing surface is left in place and the new product called Gripfibre® is spread over the top and rolled, and it is then given time to set. It is expected that the whole 1.7km stretch of road will only take about a week to complete, but it is weather dependent. The manhole covers will be raised, after the surfacing works, to the new level of the road which will take a couple of weeks, the road will then be remarked.

Traditional tarmac will remain

The new surface will have a ten to fifteen year lifespan. Initially, it will look blacker than the traditional tarmac and will take time to fade. It may also sound a bit different when you drive on it.

The surface will be assessed after it has been in place for a year to see whether it is suitable for future use. It is unlikely to completely replace traditional road resurfacing methods but it provides another useful technique for use on roads that don’t see a high loading of traffic.

Minister for Transport and Technical Services, Deputy Eddie Noel, said “This is a very exciting new product for us. With the constraints on public expenditure that we have, it gives us a great opportunity to make our budget more effective. It also delivers some great benefits for the public in terms of greatly reduced disruption through road closures and reduced impact of smells, noise and fumes.”

The process uses a specialist dedicated machine which is being brought over by Eurovia Specialist Treatments, the UK contractor who developed the surfacing material. Local contractors, including Brenwal and De la Haye Plant, will be assisting with other elements of the contract.