The problems with road plates today

  • COLD MIX

    Cold mix doesn’t actually secure road plates—it just hides the problem, breaking apart under traffic, shifting over time, and requiring constant reapplication without ever anchoring the plate in place.

  • BIKE LANE HAZARD

    An unramped plate creates a sharp edge that can catch a bicycle tire, causing cyclists to lose control and crash.

  • CAR ACCIDENTS


    Unsecured road plates can shift under traffic, creating dangerous gaps that can cause vehicles to drop into the trench below.

  • FLUSH MOUNT

    Flush mounting metal road plates—where the plate is set level with the road surface—requires saw-cutting the pavement, excavating material, and often backfilling or pouring concrete around the edges. This process is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and expensive, often costing thousands of dollars per plate.

  • TIRE SHREDDERS

    Due to the flexing of metal plates under traffic, railroad spikes can work their way loose and get pushed upward—turning them into dangerous tire shredders.

  • PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

    Ramps on road plates used on sidewalks are important because they provide a smooth, accessible transition for pedestrians, wheelchairs, strollers, cyclists, and preventing trips.

  • POLLUTION


    Cold mix asphalt is a petroleum-based, non-reusable material that degrades quickly, contributing to material waste and hydrocarbon runoff in storm drains.

  • UNSECURED PLATE

    Unsecured plating is dangerous because it can shift or slide under traffic, creating trip hazards, vehicle damage, noise complaints, and exposing open trenches to the public.
1-Year Cost Comparison

Cold Patch vs. Plate Locks

Estimate how much your company could save by replacing repeated cold patch maintenance with reusable Plate Locks.

Enter Your Estimated Costs

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Your Estimated 1-Year Savings

Estimated Cold Patch Cost $4,400 Material, labor, equipment and repeat maintenance
Estimated Plate Locks Cost $799 Reusable system plus estimated installation labor
Estimated Annual Savings $3,601

That is approximately 82% savings.

Potential Benefits

  • Fewer maintenance visits
  • Less material waste and cleanup
  • Reduced labor and traffic-control costs
  • Reusable on future road plate installations
  • High-visibility safety-orange identification
Request Pricing or a Demonstration

This calculator provides an estimate only. Actual savings depend on labor rates, material costs, traffic conditions, maintenance frequency, installation requirements and project duration.

A large utility contractor could save over $350,000 annually by replacing repeated cold patch maintenance with reusable Plate Locks.

included in city & county specifcations natiowide


View Specs

  • 17+ Years

  • Made in USA

  • Free Shipping (USA Continental Only)

  • Reusable

    Currently Used By

    Testimonials

    • "We modified our standards to require the use of Plate Locks to restrain steel plates on Jackson County roads.  After a decade of use, our opinion of the product remains unchanged."

      Mike Kuntz, P.E. County Engineer Jackson County Roads



    • "VDOT requires the plates to be out lined with some sort of markings around the edge and I think this does that and we have to put up signs for  the steel plates  when in use. We are well pleased with the Plate Locks system."

      Johnny Beane Town Of Blacksburg Virginia

    • "It is certainly our intention to use the Plate Lock system again in the future and would highly recommend it."

      Michael R. Agnew IHC, LTD.