Highway interceptor cleaning prepares highways for winter weather

06/12/2024

Interceptors are key elements of the highway drainage system because they collect potentially polluting debris and oil residues washed from the road surface and prevent them from entering adjacent water courses.


Interceptor cleaning is an important part of maintaining the UK’s highways all year round. Regular interceptor cleaning is needed to make sure drainage systems don’t become blocked and cause flooding.


What are interceptors?


Interceptors are drainage installations which prevent debris, grease, oil, and other contaminants from entering public drainage systems.


Interceptors are regularly used in petrol stations, retail parks, and highways where there is a high risk of contaminants entering public drainage systems.


Because interceptors are designed to trap the contaminants, this means that silt and wet waste build-up is left behind in them.


The wet waste build-up needs to be regularly cleaned and tankered to keep the interceptors working properly and to prevent drainage systems from flooding.


Why is highway interceptor cleaning needed in winter?


Winter weather conditions often bring the highest amount of rainfall, which needs to be drained from the road surface to decrease the risk of flooding.


Freezing temperatures can also result in expanding ice causing pipe damage. This is why preventing water from standing on highways or in pipes is particularly critical in winter months.


Our drainage engineers carry out large amounts of interceptor cleaning work to prevent the roads from flooding during heavy rainfall and to reduce pothole formation due to ice expansion.


How do our drainage engineers clean highway interceptors


Our expert technology and equipment allow our drainage engineers to quickly and efficiently clean interceptors. We have large fleets of jet vacuum tankers waiting and ready to be deployed around the country.


The jet vac tankers are used to remove hydrocarbons and silt buildup which are then expertly disposed of at one of our fully-licensed treatment facilities.


The process involves:



  • A visual inspection of each interceptor

  • An asset condition report

  • The deployment of jet vac tankers to clean the interceptors

  • All legal paperwork is handled by us after the completion


The drainage engineers carrying out the work also carry out a visual inspection of each interceptor to compile an asset condition report to support ongoing maintenance.


We also take care of all the legal paperwork requirements after the interceptor cleaning work is complete.


What highway interceptor projects have Lanes worked on?


Our drainage engineers clean highway interceptors all across the UK from our 20 depots.


Our off-road jet vac tankers are state-of-the-art and allow us to reach even the most remote locations in the UK.


We work on many important highway interceptor cleaning projects and have built a great relationship with clients such as Ringway, Highway England’s maintenance and response contractor.


We’re always delighted to help support contractors carry out important maintenance work and we work 24/7, 365 days a year. This means there are always drainage engineers available to help support highway maintenance projects.


Why choose Lanes Drainage Services?


Our teams are highly experienced in carrying out a range of highway drainage maintenance services, including gully cleaning, highway culvert cleaning, and highway drain repair and rehabilitation.


At Lanes, we always respond quickly and flexibly with the right specialist equipment and the highest safety standards.


We reliably coordinate our activities with those of other highway contractors, which ensures the best outcomes for our clients.


Contact the team today to find out how we can support your next project.

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