Extreme Weather Causes Chaos To UK’s Transport Infrastructure In July – But Why
A major subject of conversation in the UK in recent weeks has been the intense heatwave during mid-July that saw peak temperatures exceed 40 degrees C, or 104 degrees F. Not all of the UK’s current transport infrastructure stood up well to the challenges posed by the elevated heat. But what factors seem to have made the UK’s roads particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of the heat, compared to countries in mainland Europe? Matthew Lugg OBE, international highways expert and Immediate Past President at the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT), has recently weighed in on the subject. Are older materials to blame for the issues seen on some UK roads amid the recent heat? When questioned on why the material used to build roads in warmer countries than the UK – such as Spain – did not show the same problems during times when temperatures were especially high, Mr Lugg explained that in Mediterranean countries, the custom was for road ...