Jet boost as road repairs speed up across Essex

Thousands of additional repairs are being carried out this summer thanks to additional funding.

Essex Highways is carrying out even more road repairs thanks to £3 million additional funding announced earlier this year by Essex County Council.

The improvements are being carried out by Jet Patchers, which can deliver rapid repairs on potholes.

Since June, over 2,300 potholes have been fixed, making the roads of Essex safer, greener and healthier to travel on for all users.

The Jet Patching machines and crews are currently operating in the Maldon and Uttlesford districts, carrying out rapid repairs on rural and local roads.

Crews will be moving across the entire county this summer, ensuring that the issues that matter most to residents are addressed, promoting pride of place in communities across Essex.

Essex Highways has hired more specialist crews to carry out urgent pothole repairs across the county this year using Jet Patchers at a quicker pace.

Jet Patching is a pothole repair method that is known for its speed and efficiency. It minimises disruption to traffic and significantly reduces the need to close roads. 

Key benefits of the method include:

• speed and efficiency - allowing entire roads to be treated quickly, requiring minimal planning and traffic management
• versatility – which means it is effective on quieter rural roads, but adaptable to use in busier areas
• not requiring road closures - allowing for continuous traffic flow even during repairs

Councillor Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure, and Sustainable Transport, said: “The deployment of the Jet Patchers marks a significant step forward in our commitment to maintain and improve the quality of Essex’s roads. By targeting these urgently needed repairs, especially on our rural roads, we’re ensuring safer and smoother journeys for all residents.

“This innovative approach not only speeds up the repair process but also maximises efficiency, allowing us to address more issues within a shorter timeframe.

“Using the Jet Patchers is just one of a number of ways Essex County Council is delivering even more improvements to our highways this year.

“I’m proud to live in Essex and the swift action and dedicated efforts of our teams will make the county an even safer, greener and healthier place to live.”

£12 million additional funding for highways repairs was announced by the council in February this year.

Of this, £8 million is being spent on the Members’ Highways Initiative, where county councillors work with the highways service to prioritise repairs in their divisions. Another £3 million has been invested in an additional Jet Patching programme.

An additional £185,000 of the recently announced £25 million Priority One funding will also extend the use of Jet Patchers to mid-October.