Blogs Highways Highlight

We have lots of different techniques for resurfacing roads and are always looking for innovative and cost-effective methods to maintaining our highways network. Find out more about how we’re continuing to monitor and maintain our road surfaces using a variety of methods:

• Life with Mastic, it’s fantastic! - showcasing Mastic Asphalt trials
• Ready, steady, recycle – showcasing in-situ road recycling
• Hot stuff – trialling thermal road repairs
• Summer lovin’ for Buckinghamshire Highways – a guide to surface dressing, microsurfacing and Grouted Macadams.

We know that potholes remain an issue across Buckinghamshire, which is why we're working hard to smooth things over... (pun intended!) Last year we completed approx. 23,000 defects.

Our Local Area Technicians (LATs) proactively and regularly inspect their areas for potholes and other road defects and highway issues, alongside our Highway Inspectors. All defects are inspected and assessed to determine whether a repair is required, and if so, what kind of repair it might need. A lot of potholes are picked up by these inspections and programmed for repair.

On average 2,500 potholes are repaired each month (yes, really!) although this does vary seasonally.

Of course, we also find out about potholes from local residents who make reports via Fix My Street – thank you.

Read more about our work to tackle potholes and other road defects.

The winter and spring leading into the 24/25 financial year saw the highest levels of rainfall in over two centuries, causing flooding and associated issues across Buckinghamshire, which is why an extra £500k was allocated for the cleaning and repair of gullies and the upkeep of roadside drainage systems.

Clearing gullies and ditches of leaves and debris and making repairs where needed allows the water to drain away more quickly and helps to prevent some flooding. Over the last four years, Buckinghamshire Council has made allocations for the cleaning of all 85,000 gullies across the county to reduce flood damage as part of a regular schedule.

Last year was the fourth year of such efforts, with repairs being made when needed, keeping the gullies working at peak efficiency.

Every year our crews work hard to keep on top of grass growth around the county. Our inspectors regularly review all locations and prioritise locations where reports have been made of roadside cuts being needed to maintain road safety. Last year approx. 6million square metres of grass was cut (which is the same as 840 football pitches).

Read more about how we always consider the impact of grass cutting on wildlife, and balance this with keeping Buckinghamshire’s road users safe in our 'Mow time like the present' Highways Highlight.

During the autumn and winter seasons, our main focus is ensuring the roads are safe for all road users, and responding where needed to the impact winter conditions can have on the county's road network.

Approx. 44% of the county’s highways network (870 miles) is categorised as a primary route. These priority routes are gritted when road surface temperatures – which can be up to 5°C cooler than the air temperature – are predicted to drop below 0.5°C. These temperatures are lower than the air temperatures you may see on weather apps and weather forecasts – so gritting will happen even if the air temperatures are predicted to stay above freezing.

Last winter 65 gritting runs were completed, meaning our fleet of gritters covered a greater distance than travelling around the Earth’s equator twice!

Emergency works take place without warning.

We can’t plan for these, which means sometimes they happen at the same time as other work on the roads. As well as coordinating planned roadworks and maintenance programmes, we also carefully monitor any emergency works, support emergency services and utility companies to be on the road and manage the impact where possible.

We know that faulty lighting is very important to our residents, and we take all reported issues very seriously. Buckinghamshire Highways maintain approximately 40,000 lighting assets in Buckinghamshire and have a wide range of schemes to ensure they are maintained each year. 2,604 street lighting repairs were attended last year and you can read more about some of the street lighting projects below:

• Relight my shire!
• A brighter Beaconsfield

We are investing £120m (over a four-year rolling basis) into our county’s highways. This is to ensure the timely delivery of nearly 300 capital schemes annually as well as responding to unplanned but essential maintenance works.

Capital schemes typically involve significant spending of council money for improvements, repairs, and upgrades to the county’s highways including roads, cycleways, footways, and other highway infrastructure (such as bridges) and are designed to improve the safety, efficiency, and overall quality of the county's highways.

Examples include:

• Road repairs and improvements - This includes pothole repairs, resurfacing, and other road maintenance work.
• Drainage improvements - Installing and maintaining drainage systems to prevent flooding.
• Street lighting upgrades - Upgrading to LED lighting to improve safety and energy efficiency.
• Building and improving cycle paths and pedestrian walkways.
• Bridge upgrades and the construction of new infrastructure.
• Public realm improvements – Projects that enhance the overall appearance and usability of public spaces along highways.

Buckinghamshire Highways uses multiple frameworks and partnerships to deliver these schemes, ensuring value for money and innovation.