Heidelberg Materials has completed road-resurfacing work in the UK’s scenic Cheddar Gorge. The firm has resurfaced a 3.2km stretch of road, removing and recycling the worn surface and producing and laying the new asphalt under challenging conditions including steep gradients, narrow passes and nighttime working. The project forms part of Heidelberg Materials’ term maintenance contract with Somerset Council.
Cheddar Gorge is the deepest natural canyon in England and the B3135 improvement scheme was carried out at night to minimise disruption at the popular tourist attraction. Parts of the programme required working through narrow sections of road with high rock faces as well as steep gradients up to 16%.
Around 1,300tonnes of worn-out road surface were removed and recycled, where possible, back into the new asphalt, which was produced at the company’s Whatley quarry in the county. The team reduced the carbon emissions associated with the transportation of materials by using the same lorries to take the planings to the asphalt plant and return to site with the new asphalt when feasible.
More than 2,500tonnes of Heidelberg Materials’ Tufflex asphalt were used to resurface the 3.2km stretch of road. Tufflex provides a durable surface with high deformation resistance, minimising the impact of wheel rutting which can be an issue under heavy breaking. The product includes a polymer-modified binder, providing flexibility to boost fatigue resistance, and has a low void content, protecting the surface from water ingress.
