A new surface dressing programme has begun on roads in North Yorkshire this month.
North Yorkshire County Council has hired a new contractor to carry out this year’s work, which the local authority said can extend the life of a road surface by up to 10 years.
The 2022 programme, which will cover about 200 miles, will be the first delivered by NY Highways, the roads maintenance company created by the county council last year.
NY Highways has recruited Birmingham road construction firm Kiely Bros as its contractor.
Ross Bullerwell, managing director of NY Highways, said:
“Over the past four months we have worked with Kiely Bros to prepare them for the contract, to make sure they understand what we demand in terms of finish and quality.
“The company has already been providing white lining services for us and we have received good local feedback about their work.”
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A press release issued by the council today described surface dressing as “a quick, efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining skid-resistant and waterproof road surfaces”.
The process involves spraying the surface with bitumen, then spreading stone chippings on top and rolling these into the bitumen. Once the bitumen has set, the road is swept to remove any loose chippings.
Weather warning
Barrie Mason, assistant director highways and transportation at the county council, said:
“We know the value of surface dressing from experience. It is vital in maintaining the condition of our roads network. That’s why it is a key component of our annual roads maintenance programme.
“Year after year, through the programme we enhance the quality of sections of our road network. This is crucial in ensuring that businesses, residents and visitors can travel with confidence.”
Signs should go up at each location before work starts to alert residents and drivers.
Mr Mason warned the programme can be affected by weather, adding:
“This can makes communicating exact dates challenging, so we urge residents to check the advance site signage regularly. The contractor will amend this to highlight any change in the schedule.
“After a stretch of road has been treated, it is important for drivers to heed the temporary speed limit put in place while the new surface stabilises to prevent damage to their own vehicle and those of other road users.”
For more information about surface dressing, click here.
