The initiative could keep roads from melting in the summer and freezing in the winter, therefore preventing the creation of potholes and improving road safety. 

The project has been awarded a £800,000 research fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering, with the hopes it could improve how major roads across the UK are maintained and upgraded – even as climate change “increases the challenge of keeping them fit for purpose,” the university said. 

As part of the trial, the researchers plan to introduce ground source heat pumps to cool roads in the summer and warm them in the winter. 

“At the moment, a typical motorway or A-road surface lasts 20 years, but this is likely to reduce as extreme weather increases,” said project lead Dr Benyi Cao. “However, by regulating the temperature of road surfaces, they should last significantly longer.

“Aside from the safety benefits and reduction to car damage, think of the reduction in expensive, inconvenient...