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Seven repairs to peat-soil roads tested on Upwell Road at March
Overview
Seven different repair methods are being tested on the B1099 Upwell Road in March, Cambridgeshire, to determine the most effective way to maintain roads built on peat soil. Funded by a £1.5m grant from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, the trial involves digging up seven 150-metre sections of road and embedding sensors to monitor performance. Officials note that about 40% of the county's roads are built on peat, which deteriorates quickly and costs up to five times more to repair than roads on other soils.
Key points
- Seven different repair techniques are being tested on a stretch of the B1099 Upwell Road in March, Cambridgeshire.
- The trial is supported by a £1.5m grant from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
- About 40% of Cambridgeshire's roads (roughly 1,118 miles) are built on peat soil, which degrades quickly.
- Repairing roads on peatland can cost up to five times more than on other soils and lasts about half as long.
- Methods being trialled include deep soil mixing to strengthen road edges and a grid-patterned resin injection system.
- Sensors have been embedded in the road sections to monitor the effectiveness of each repair technique.