Lane’s know-how supports highest resurfacing standards

Drain cleaning technology and expertise from Lanes Group is helping Tarmac deliver optimum highway maintenance services for local authorities in the North West.

The company’s advanced jet vac tankers are being used to clear surplus aggregates from highway gullies and drainage channels.

Local authorities are increasingly keen to ensure highway drainage remains clear to maintain high levels of flood resilience.

This process is also supported by the Lanes Chester depot carrying out CCTV drainage surveys of highway drains both before and after resurfacing, if necessary.

Francisco Po, Contracting Project Co-ordinator at Tarmac, said: “Gully cleaning is a key element in our resurfacing programmes and an area where local authority clients are increasingly seeking improved assurance that activity is carried out to the highest standards.

“The increased volatility of weather in recent years has played a significant role in the need to build in additional flood resilience into our highway maintenance work and Lanes has the capabilities we need to ensure drain lines are clear after resurfacing works have been carried out.”

Lanes Group has been increasingly successful at winning highway drainage contracts, both for preventative maintenance and road construction programmes.

One reason is the company’s investment in the UK’s most powerful specialist drainage vehicles and equipment, says Sian Wyn-Jones, Area Development Manager for Lanes Chester.

She added: “Lanes has the UK’s largest fleet of recycler jet vac tankers. These can filter and reuse their own water, so they can operate for longer in more remote areas, without having to tip waste or refill the water tank.

“Our recycler jet vac tankers 68% more productive than standard jet vac tankers. This is ideal for highway projects, where works must be completed during highly-constrained periods of traffic management.

“We are delighted to be working with Tarmac to deliver these services. As the UK’s largest independent drainage specialist, we can call on assets and specialist equipment from across the country if need be.

“A recent example was the deployment of nine jet vac tankers on the same day to support a clean water main diversion during the construction of a new section of the A556 near Knutsford, in Cheshire.”

Lanes Chester is also the main drainage contractor for the Mersey Gateway, a new road bridge and associated approach road across the Mersey River between Runcorn and Widnes, in Cheshire, which is due to open in late 2017.