Hertfordshire roads ‘melting’ due to extreme heat, council warns
Some road surfaces have reached temperatures of more than 50C
Roads in Hertfordshire are “melting” in the extreme heat, with some surfaces reaching temperatures of more than 50C, according to the county council.
Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, cabinet member for highways, said sustained high temperatures were causing the bitumen binder in some roads to soften, creating a shiny or “melting” appearance.
He said road surfaces can be 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the air temperature because black tarmac absorbs heat.
During a previous heatwave, officers recorded a road surface temperature of 54C, which Cllr Giles-Medhurst said had effectively melted the bitumen.
However, he stressed the issue does not necessarily present a safety risk.
The council has been using sand and grit on affected roads to help bind the softened bitumen together and maintain a safe surface.
One affected road is Valley Way in Stevenage, where the council is monitoring the surface because of the high volume of traffic. Further resurfacing could be required if the damage worsens.
Cllr Giles-Medhurst said, ironically, newly resurfaced roads can be more vulnerable to extreme heat than older roads.
“Unfortunately, roads we may have resurfaced, rightly so, as part of our resurfacing programme in April, May or June, may suffer first in hot weather in August,” he said.
The heat is also making it harder for the council to carry out its summer roadworks programme.
Workers are starting earlier and taking more frequent breaks because resurfacing cannot safely be carried out during the hottest parts of the day.
Cllr Giles-Medhurst said this could increase costs and potentially lead to more disruption if works have to be carried out later in the year.
Hertfordshire County Council has a £107 million integrated highway programme, covering resurfacing and other maintenance work.
He said the heat was not currently expected to require additional investment this year, but warned that repeated repairs, longer working times and rising raw material costs could affect future programmes.
“If we’re having to go back and repair the road we’ve just recently done, that’s going to cost more,” he said.
The council may also need to consider whether different materials are required as extreme temperatures become more common.
“If we are going to be used to regular 35 degree temperatures, which on a road surface could be 45 degrees plus, clearly we’ll have to look at how we do things differently,” Cllr Giles-Medhurst said.