OREANDA-NEWS. Congestion-busting technology, harnessed by National Grid, has slashed gas mains repair times from two weeks to just four days on one of St Albans' busiest roads.

The 'keyhole for roads' technology, which is being successfully used in National Grid's North London Network, was trialled in St Albans last Monday (7th April) as National Grid engineers set about repairing a leaking gas main in St Stephen's Hill. The repair, which had been expected to take 14 days using conventional methods, was completed by Thursday, enabling traffic to flow normally again.

Peter Wilson, National Grid Network Manager, East Region, said: “This is the first time we've used this technology in St Albans and we're delighted that it has worked so well.

“It is a priority that we repair gas escapes to keep people safe, whilst also minimising the impact that our work has on motorists and local people. National Grid is always looking for innovative ways to minimise the inconvenience and disruption caused by our essential works, and this technology will dramatically cut the time needed to repair escapes and return the highway to its normal use.”

Also known as 'core and vac', equipment carried on specially-adapted vehicles drills a small hole measuring 18 to 24 inches in the road and removes a single 'core' of road surface, before sucking out the soil underneath. Repairs are then carried out using special long handled tools which are able to reach down to the gas mains to complete repairs.

The soil is then returned and compacted before the 'core' is put back using a special sealant. Once this is complete the road is ready to reopen in as little as an hour - much faster than when using conventional methods of digging and reinstatement.

Mr Wilson added: “National Grid is looking to rollout this technology across East Anglia and the East Midlands during this year, so we hope that people will see more of these vehicles on the streets of Hertfordshire in the future.”

The 'keyhole for roads' technology was first used by National Grid in the USA, its potential for use in the UK was identified and it was specially adapted for use on British roads.

Although it's not suitable for every repair job and can't be used for gas mains replacement jobs the use of keyhole technology is helping to dramatically improve the traffic situation on Britain's busy roads.