Express & Star

Road surfaces will be re-used to save cash

The Tarmac dug up when potholes are repaired is being recycled in an attempt to save Dudley Council cash.

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The torn-up road surface is being used on footpaths, parks and allotment areas in a move which could save the authority around £36,000 every year.

Around 800 tons of the material is now being reused by the council each year, enough to cover two football pitches.

See also: 25 roads to be fixed in Dudley after £500k awarded to potholes.

Dudley is now able to use recycled materials following a decision to use new machinery to carry out road repairs, as it pulls away the top level of road surfacing to create the gravel which is then ready to be re-used.

See also: New machine brought in to repair Walsall's roads.

Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, in charge of roads and transportation at the authority, said: "I am absolutely delighted with the savings we are creating by using this new machinery and I'm really pleased that we are able to use the recycled materials in such a positive way.

"I have been out with the crews personally to see the machinery in action and the speed and efficiency with which it does the job is very impressive compared to the more traditional method of digging holes out manually.

See also: Potholes repaired at the touch of a button thanks to new phone app.

"I hope this will all help ensure Dudley borough's roads and footpaths are maintained in good condition for all road users."

The council has said the use of the recycled materials, which are taken back to the council's depot in Lister Road after roads are resurfaced, is making a 'significant' saving.

It is estimated that the cost of buying in new materials to carry out the work on footpaths would have cost around £36,000 each year.

The council has also estimated that £75,000 is already being saved as a result of using the new machinery, as it claims the equipment gets road resurfacing work done more efficiently than old manual techniques. The new equipment only removes the necessary material required for a repair, as opposed to traditional methods where deeper holes are created, meaning more material is needed to fill them in.

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