18 September 2017
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and their contractor Eurovia have recently completed surface improvements on La Route d’Ebenezer in Trinity. The new surface, which looks and feels very different from traditional tarmac, provides great skid resistance and other significant benefits.
The Gripfibre system does look different to the asphalt that is normally laid in Jersey as it is a different material and process. Where traditional asphalt is rolled, GripFibre is a sprayed material that coats the road surface and leaves a positive texture so users will notice the difference. The Gripfibre system has a much better skid resistance than traditional asphalt, and will seal the surface of the road and fill up any depressions from trenches. The roughness of the surface will smooth out over time, but retain its good skid-resistant qualities. The GripFibre system used on La Route d’Ebenezer is approximately one third of the cost of the traditional resurfacing method used locally.
Gripfibre enables DfI’s budget to go further, and wherever the road surface condition is suitable for the use of a preventative maintenance system such as Gripfibre, then this will be considered. If such a system is not suitable, then DfI will use the traditional method of laying new asphalt.
Gripfibre is a preventative maintenance system designed to extend the life of the road, and has an expected life of 10 to 15 years, compared to the more traditional asphalt’s expected life of 15 to 20 years. The Department’s objective in using alternative surfacing systems is to increase the area of road that can be surfaced with the budget available.
DfI are very happy with the finished product and plan to continue the use of this type of surfacing system in the future on the right roads. The same system was laid at La Route du Mont Mado in 2015, and on Mont Cochon and Green Road in 2016.
La Route d’Ebenezer had many trenches, which provided an uneven road surface for motorists; the new surface provides a much smoother and safer ride.
Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Eddie Noel, commented “This new Gripfibre preventative maintenance treatment can take a bit of getting used to, because it’s different, especially initially. We’ve been using it for a couple of years now and it has proven to be both efficient and effective.”
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