Santa Pod hosting spillage trial which could speed up motorway re-opening times

Three different types of road surface have been installed at Santa Pod Raceway as part of the trial.

Santa Pod Raceway is hosting an innovative trial which could speed up motorway re-opening times when there’s a spillage.

New products are being put through their paces at the race track near Podington, on a 200m stretch of road surface, as part of a £270,000 National Highways funded scheme.

Currently, when a major incident happens, access to treat spillages on the road is restricted while police forensic investigations take place. It can take just 90 minutes for fluids such as oil and diesel to damage the road surface. If the surface cannot be treated in time it means resurfacing work is required, adding to further congestion and delays for motorists caught up in the aftermath of the incident.

In the new trial forensic evidence such as tyre marks and debris will be placed on the trial area, alongside diesel and oil samples, where specialists will test fluid-based treatments to see if they can absorb the spillages without destroying the evidence at the same location.

It’s hoped that the trial, if successful, will mean England’s major A-roads and motorways will be able to open more quickly when there is a spillage.

National Highways on-road service delivery manager, Sian Norman said: “We’re always looking to improve how we design, build, maintain and operate our road network.

“This trial is incredibly exciting because it means we can look in detail at how some of the products work in treating spillages and what impact it might have on any forensic evidence on the road.

“During any incident, we work very closely with police colleagues to make sure the area is kept sterile for forensic investigation but we’re always aware that we need to get the road back open as soon as it is safe to do so.

“By investing in innovation, we can explore new technology and solutions to reduce disruption to road users and communities that live alongside our network.”

The estimated cost to the economy of a full carriageway closure during a busy period for around two hours is nearly £750,000. If the road is fully closed for four hours, that increases to almost £3m.