A686 carriageway improvements

Client: Cumbria County Council

Quantity: 960 tonnes

Overview: Improvements to the A686 before the Tour of Britain cycle race, carried out under partial road closure.

Product used: Tufflex HD

The A686, which runs from Penrith to Alston in Cumbria, was in poor condition in sections and needed to be repaired without closing the road and before the start of the Tour of Britain cycle race. Hanson’s Tufflex HD was chosen as the surfacing material as it provided a durable solution while enabling the road to remain open.

The A686 is popular with cyclists due to its topography and a section was included on the route of the 2015 Tour of Britain cycle race. It was in particularly bad condition due to slow moving HGVs struggling with the incline and twisting nature of the road.

Hanson presented a number of different material options to Cumbria County Council. Tufflex HD was chosen as it contains a polymer modified binder with an exceptionally high softening point, making it the perfect choice for roads carrying very heavy, slow moving vehicles. Its use also meant that the road could remain open under a convoy traffic management system, unlike using traditional hot rolled asphalt which would have meant closing the road and creating a long diversion.

Benefits of Tufflex HD

• Cost-effective
• Durable
• High deformation resistance
• Low air void which protects against water ingress
• Fuel resisting properties
• Good workability
• Good load spreading ability from very heavy, slow moving traffic at higher temperatures to prevent wheel track deformation