Milestone Infrastructure and partner Oxfordshire County Council have carried out trials of new pothole repair methods.

The trial is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.

Contractor Milestone Infrastructure used the road between Steventon and East Hanney as a test site to trial seven different methods of filling in potholes or repairing minor defects requiring 'patching'.

A range of methods were used in the trial, including some methods already used on Oxfordshire roads, such as Milestone's 'Dragon Patcher'. Other new methods were also sourced by Milestone.

The Hanney/Steventon Road was closed and a 1km stretch was divided into sections. Each section had a different type of pothole or patch repair carried out to get a direct comparison of the various methods. Other factors being considered include, carbon produced, time taken and the longevity of the repairs.

The trial is a result of the number of potholes needed in the area doubling over the winter. Milestone Infrastructure, a part of M Group Services, repaired 31,413 road defects in 2022. The council commissioned the trial to find more efficient methods of completing repairs.


Commenting on the project, Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: "As the highway authority, we are committed to seeking new and innovative methods of carrying out repairs on our 3,000-mile road network. That is why we are so pleased to be involved in this pioneering trial which could have a huge impact on improving the quality of the county's roads.

"We are very proactive when it comes to repairing roads within the budget we have available but, like all councils, we are not given enough government funding for this work. That’s why we are so excited about this project, which we hope will increase value for money and improve the service we offer Oxfordshire’s road users.

"We hope this robust trial will provide evidence and information for our contractors about what repair methods work best by testing them on the same stretch of road."

Reflecting on their involvement, Richard Lovewell, Business Director at Milestone Infrastructure, said: "As the leading highways maintenance provider, our focus is on delivering safer, greener highways for all and we are delighted to partner with Oxfordshire County Council on this innovative, controlled trial.

"Although many of the technologies seen are already in use across Oxfordshire, the learnings from comparing different repair techniques on the same stretch of road will enable us to determine the optimum solutions to maximise value for our customers, protect the environment and better serve the communities in which we operate."