Innovative trial proposal to improve fens roads

Innovative trial proposal to improve fens roads

A trial project aimed at tackling long-standing problems of maintaining roads which run over fenland soils has been backed.

The Fen Roads Trial, proposed by Cambridgeshire County Council, has so far been supported by both the Combined Authority’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee, and the Investment Committee.

The £1.5 million trial proposes to test innovative solutions to help keep the roads in good condition for longer. The Combined Authority Board will be recommended to approve the trial at its meeting on November 13.

In the Transport and Infrastructure Committee meeting on Monday (Nov 4) they heard a separate report on work to investigate the cost of maintaining and upgrading roads which run on fen soils. This Economic Impact Assessment work would sit alongside the Fen Roads Trial as part of works to improve how those routes are managed.

According to a committee report on the trial, more than 40% of Cambridgeshire’s roads lie on peat-based soils, which expand and contract significantly as they become saturated and then dry out. Warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers are becoming more frequent with climate change, resulting in higher levels of road damage.

Cracking on routes is posing a particular danger to road users and some well-used routes now require traffic management, speed limits and safety signing to help make them safe.

The proposal is to trial solutions on the same stretch of road and compare their performance. Potential trial sites are:

• B1104 Prickwillow Road Isleham, East Cambridgeshire.

• B660 Holme Road, Ramsey St Mary’s, Huntingdonshire.

• B1040 Herne Road, Ramsey St Mary’s, Huntingdonshire.

Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council are the region’s highways authorities, responsible for maintaining roads, but traditional methods are not always tackling the root issues at the foundation layers below the surface.

Many trial methods are proposed, including:

• Excavate and fill using a lightweight recycled fill product.
• Deep soil stabilisation for underlying soil (peat in this case) up to five metres below the existing road level.
• Ex-situ recycling, creating a flexible road. This approach treats the road itself like a quarry, breaking down the existing surface and using every bit of it to build a brand new one.

Mayor Dr Nik Johnson said: “The unique challenges of maintaining our important fen roads are increasing with climate change. By exploring innovative, long-term solutions now, this trial aims to improve the standard of those roads, cut repair costs, and increase safety for our communities.”

Peterborough City Council would join the project board and be part of collaborative working. If successful, any methods could be applied in other areas with similar challenges, like in Norfolk and Lincolnshire. The trial can also be used to support bids to Government for funding for fen roads.

Work to begin the Economic Impact Assessment will start within this financial year.