Britain’s crumbling roads could soon get a much-needed makeover using a kitchen essential, as scientists unveil a revolutionary new ‘self-healing’ asphalt that could spell the end for potholes.
Experts say the secret ingredient is something found in every home – recycled cooking oil.
The breakthrough comes as the nation grapples with a pothole crisis that is costing the economy an estimated £14.4 billion a year.
A separate study has found that fixing the damage could take £16.3 billion – a bill councils can barely afford.
Potholes are caused by a freeze-thaw cycle in winter. Water seeps into cracks in the road, freezes and expands, making the cracks worse.
Over time, chunks of asphalt break away, leaving gaping holes that wreak havoc on cars and cyclists.
Now, researchers from King’s College London and Swansea University, with input from Google, believe they have found a way to stop potholes forming in the first place.
The team has developed an innovative asphalt mix containing tiny, oil-filled particles made from plant waste.
The breakthrough comes as the nation grapples with a pothole crisis that is costing the economy an estimated £14.4 billion a year
Experts say the secret ingredient is something found in every home – recycled cooking oil
These microscopic ‘spores’, just 0.002mm wide, are designed to release their oil when cracks appear in the road.
The oil prevents the asphalt from becoming brittle and breaking apart, meaning potholes never get the chance to form.
In lab tests, microcracks completely healed themselves within an hour. Scientists believe the new material could extend the lifespan of roads by 30 per cent.
Dr Jose Norambuena-Contreras, a civil engineering expert from Swansea University, said he was fascinated by how obsessed Britons are with potholes.
Dr Francisco Martin-Martinez, a computational chemist at King’s College London, added: ‘In nature, wounds heal themselves – trees seal cuts, animals regenerate tissue. We’re applying that same idea to roads.’
The research has now been published in leading scientific journals Digital Discovery and Applied Materials and Interfaces.
As well as reducing potholes, the new material could make road construction more environmentally friendly.
‘We are using plant waste instead of petroleum-based materials, making roads more sustainable,’ Dr Martin-Martinez said.
If successful, self-healing roads could save councils billions, cut down on roadworks, and make driving in Britain a much smoother experience.
The oil prevents the asphalt from becoming brittle and breaking apart, meaning potholes never get the chance to form
A huge pot hole was marked with a large warning message in yellow paint, saying ‘Hole Very Big’ on May 30, 2023 in Murrow, Cambridgeshire
It comes after it was revealed that Britain’s ‘pothole crisis’ has contributed to a seven-year high in the number of commuters killed or seriously harmed in accidents.
The dangerous holes can injure or even kill cyclists and motorists, and are popping up quicker than they can be filled.
On average, 15 people every month are killed or left with life-changing injuries in a crash started by the poor state of the roads, current figures show.
The figures, from the Department for Transport and reported first by The Telegraph, reveal that in the past seven years 61 people have lost their lives while a further 1,199 were seriously injured in crashes triggered by bad road surfaces.
The price of repairing vehicles damaged by potholes reached a record £579million last year, recent studies stated.
Those who use the roads who were most at risk during that period were cyclists, with 17 deaths, and motorcyclists, with 19 deaths.
The number of casualties has risen from the most recent stats in 2023, when the figures were at their highest since 2016.
