Annual road surface dressing programme begins for 2017

Work has begun on the annual surface dressing programme which will see £2.35million invested in improving the East Riding’s roads in 2017.

Around 15,000 tonnes of stone chippings will be laid on around 650,000 square metres of roads this year as part of East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s highway maintenance plan.

It’s the equivalent of resurfacing more than 60 miles of continuous road. Which is further than the whole route from Goole to Bridlington.

Roads will be resurfaced at 160 sites in all corners of the East Riding, from major routes to rural and residential areas.

Surface dressing is carried out every year by the council between May and mid-August as a quick and economical way of repairing and maintaining the surface to extend the life of the road.

The work will be carried out by the council’s own highway maintenance team and involves spraying hot, sticky bitumen on to the road, spreading chippings on top, and then using a roller to press them into the road.

The process also helps to seal the carriageway against water getting into its foundations, helps to reduce the risk of potholes forming and restores good skid resistance for vehicles.

After the surfacing is complete any loose chippings left behind don’t go to waste.

The thousands of stones are swept up by mechanical road sweepers, collected and stored, and then every two years the council hires a giant industrial washing machine to clean the 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.

Mike Featherby, the council’s head of streetscene services, said: “The annual surface dressing operation is a vital part of our highways maintenance programme and ensures motorists will benefit from an improved road network for years to come.

“We’d like to thank residents and motorists in advance for being patient while this year’s work is carried out.”

During the surfacing, disruption to motorists will be kept to a minimum, but 20mph speed limits will be in place in areas where work is being carried out to protect both the travelling public and the workforce.

Signs will be put up on the roads concerned a week before resurfacing takes place and the council appreciates residents’ support in removing vehicles while the work is being carried out.

Residents can find out which roads will be covered by this year’s surface dressing operation by visiting the council’s website www.eastriding.gov.uk and searching for ‘Resurfacing of roads’.

This year's surface dressing programme has been funded through the council’s planned maintenance allocation, as well as contributions from the Government’s Pothole Action Fund, the Safer Roads Fund and funding secured through the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund from the Department for Transport to improve the condition of ‘A’ roads in the East Riding.