Thousands of additional road repairs have been carried out across Essex following over £3m worth of funding for an innovative technique.

Essex County Council’s highways team has been using jet patching to fill road defects, such as potholes, with an asphalt emulsion to prevent damage and deterioration from moisture.

The council says the Jet Patcher quickly blows away debris and fills defects, reducing disruption to traffic and the need for road closures. It’s been used for over 7,000 repairs on rural and local roads.

The funding comes from £37 million allocated by the council on top of the normal highways budget for 2024/25 –£12 million towards additional repairs and £25 million towards Priority One works, including road resurfacing, vegetation clearance, drain clearing and repainting white lines.