A trial project to explore innovative
ways to better maintain roads which run over fen soils will now
progress.
The Fen Roads Trial, proposed by
Cambridgeshire County Council, was backed by the Combined
Authority Board on Wednesday (Nov 13) and a business case for the
project will now be developed.
The £1.5 million trial proposes to
test innovative solutions to help keep the roads in good
condition for longer.
It is estimated that more than 40% of
Cambridgeshire's roads lie on peat-based soils, which expand and
contract significantly as they become saturated and then dry out.
Extremes of hot, dry and wet weather are becoming more frequent
with climate change, resulting in higher levels of road damage.
Many routes are well known for their uneven or damaged surfaces.
Some well-used routes now require traffic management, speed
limits and safety signing to help make them
safe.
The trial aims to test solutions on
the same stretch of road and compare their performance. Potential
trial sites are:
• B1104 Prickwillow Road Isleham, East
Cambridgeshire.
• B660 Holme Road, Ramsey St Mary's,
Huntingdonshire.
• B1040 Herne Road, Ramsey St Mary's,
Huntingdonshire.
The trial aims to tackle the issue at
the road foundation level, to bring about more long-term
improvements and reduce ongoing cost. Cambridgeshire County
Council and Peterborough City Council are the region's highways
authorities, responsible for maintaining roads.
Many trial methods are proposed,
including:
Separate work to investigate the cost
of maintaining and upgrading roads which run on fen soils is
going ahead this financial year. This work, called an Economic
Impact Assessment, will sit alongside the Fen Roads Trial to
improve how those routes are managed.
The trial also supports the
recently approved Shared Ambition for Cambridgeshire and
Peterborough's future and
in particular its focus on innovation, better connectivity and
helping the region stay resilient to future
change.
Mayor Dr said: “This
innovative trial is a vital step forward in addressing the unique
and growing challenges of maintaining fen roads. So many rely on
these roads daily, and we want to help make sure they are decent,
safe, and ready to serve our road users well into the
future.”
Peterborough City Council are planned
to sit on the project board of the trial. If successful, any
methods could be applied in other areas with similar challenges,
like in Norfolk and Lincolnshire. The trial can also be used to
support bids to Government for funding for fen
roads.
