Road improvements worth £3.5m are due to be carried out in the East Riding this spring and summer to help protect against potholes and other damage.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is investing the money in its annual surface dressing programme, which will begin on 23 April and is expected to take 13 weeks to complete, weather depending.
The highway maintenance programme will cover all types of roads, from A roads to unclassified roads, and will see 151 sections of road in the area (around 67 miles) upgraded.
Around 12,600 tonnes of stone chippings will be laid on road surfaces during the spring and summer operation.
Surface dressing is a fast and cost-effective method of fixing, preserving and prolonging the lifespan of a road, and it is carried out annually by the council’s own highways maintenance team.
The work consists of applying hot, adhesive bitumen to the road, covering it with chippings, and then rolling them in.
Afterwards, road sweepers clear away any loose chippings after a few days. New road markings are then put down as quickly as possible.
The process actively reduces the risk of potholes forming as it seals the road and stops water from entering and damaging the surface. It also greatly improves skid resistance for vehicles.
The process is carried out during the spring and summer months as it requires warmer temperatures for the bitumen and chippings to take effect.
Adam Holmes, the council’s director of infrastructure and facilities, said: “Thanks to residents and motorists for bearing with us while we carry out our annual surface dressing programme.
“Our teams will be out in around 150 locations over the next three months carrying out a vital job to help protect these sections of road from potholes and other damage.”
During and after the work, temporary 20mph speed limits are in force on the treated roads to reduce the possibility of vehicles skidding on the loose chippings and will be removed when the new road markings have been installed.
Disruption to traffic will be kept to a minimum, but drivers are asked to respect the 20mph speed limit, in place to protect both the travelling public and the council’s workforce.
Residents and drivers will be informed before the works begin. A leaflet will be sent to residents impacted by the works and advance warning signs will be placed on the roads beforehand.
After the surfacing dressing is complete, any loose stone chippings left behind won’t go to waste.
Mechanical road sweepers are used to collect up all the loose chippings, which are then stored.
Then every two years the council hires a giant industrial washing and grading machine to clean all the loose chippings so they can be recycled and reused on the roads the following year.
The process recycles more than 7,000 tonnes of chippings and saves around £60,000 of council tax payers’ money.
