Dressing down for our roads

An extensive surface dressing programme this summer saw the county council’s highways teams treating 350 miles of road. In addition, 30 miles of road were resurfaced.

Surface dressing offers a quick, efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining skid-resistant and waterproof road surfaces, helping to prevent deterioration. It involves spraying bitumen on to the road surface then covering it with a layer of chippings. The process can extend the life of a road by up to ten years.

The £27m programme saw 3,700 million square metres of road treated.

Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for highways, said: “Surface dressing is a very effective preventative treatment for roads which are already in good or reasonable condition.

“The process seals the surface of the highway giving it greater protection against the ingress of water and damage to the substrate. An additional benefit valued by many residents is that the dressing provides a uniform appearance, masking the effects of patching and excavations by utilities.

“The county council places a very high priority on highways maintenance. My elected member colleagues recognise the challenges we face as the largest county in keeping our 5,800 miles of roads in good condition and generally support the high level of investment we make in them.”