|
The partnership
of May Gurney and Essex County Council has brought about a 30 percent reduction
in the cost of winter maintenance. This has been achieved by the introduction of
salt management, a Global Positioning System (GPS), a new gritting plant and
route rationalisation. In total the partnership has saved a staggering £100,000
in the last year.
In addition May Gurney is proposing to carry out winter maintenance this year
for a fixed annual sum to be paid throughout the year. This will give the added
advantage of predictability of expenditure and thereby removing the risk of
overspends or surpluses at the end of the year.
So what other methods is May Gurney using to reduce costs on the Essex roads?
Jetpatcher® UK Ltd
This is a temporary highway repair process whereby bitumen emulsion and clean
aggregate are mixed and sprayed into a highway defect to form a pothole patch
repair. Since initial trials in 2001 this process has been incorporated into
maintenance treatments, and is being managed within the May Gurney Highways
team.
Adrian Croot comments: "The trials showed a 30 per cent cost saving in
pre-surface dressing patching. Work this year because our operatives have become
more experienced, and considerable savings of up to 65 per cent have been made
within Epping Forest's reactive patching budget."
More information
can be obtained from 'May Gurney NEWS, Autumn 2002'. |
