Works have started on the Council’s £3.3 million surface dressing programme that will reduce potholes on 66 miles of Westmorland and Furness roads by August 2025.
The 53 roads confirmed in the programme have been prepared and permanently patched, ready to be sealed with the treatment that enhances road surfaces for up to ten years.
Works have already completed on 20 rural roads. Starting Monday 30 June, another 33 main routes will be surface dressed, with the programme scheduled to finish in August 2025.
Surface dressing significantly extends the lifespan of a road by sealing the surface to prevent water from seeping in. It protects treated roads from freezing and wet winter weather, the leading cause of road damage across the area, which typically becomes visible in spring as temperatures begin to rise.
The process sees a coating of hot bitumen sprayed on to the surface, followed by a layer of stone chippings which are then lightly rolled and pressed to form a hard-wearing surface.
Minimal delays are expected while the works are being carried out and traffic is immediately allowed on to the new surface, at a reduced speed, to help embed the chippings into the road. Once complete, the roads receive new markings following the final sweep which takes place seven days after completion.
Residents will be notified about upcoming works through on-street signage installed two weeks in advance. In addition, site operatives will deliver leaflets to nearby homes three days before work begins.
The treatment can only be carried out in dry weather, so scheme start dates are flexible with scheduled works indicated by onsite signage.
The sites set to benefit from this year’s investment have been prioritised based on the council’s proactive inspections which use an artificial intelligence software, Vaisala, to detect when a road is showing early signs of deterioration. By catching small issues early, it prevents them turning into big problems which require more costly solutions such as full resurfacing or reactive pothole repairs.
The surface dressing programme forms a part of Westmorland and Furness Council’s £37.7 million investment plan that will see thousands of improvements delivered to highways assets including pothole repairs and the resurfacing of roads, gullies, footways and cycleways, bridges, retaining walls and other structures in 2025/26.
Cllr Peter Thornton, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Highways and ICT said: “The severe weather and freezing temperatures we face here takes its toll on the condition of our roads, which is why we have made proactively maintaining and improving our network a priority.
“Our surface dressing programme will protect roads from the impacts of winter, preventing minor issues from escalating into major problems, like potholes, which understandably causes frustration for everyone.
“This treatment is not only a fast and effective way of maintaining our network, it enables us to reduce our impact on the environment and get the most out of every pound that we spend. After each scheme completes, we sweep and collect the spare chippings from the roadside and re-cycle them for use in future programmes, such as this year, where we are using 2,500 tonnes of recycled chippings from our 2024 works.
“Surface dressing is only a small part of our investment that will see hundreds of roads improved across the area. This year, more than 50 roads will be full resurfaced alongside the use of innovative ‘jet-patching’ and ‘thermal patching’ machines rolled out to fix potholes, carry out emergency road repairs and seal worn sections of carriageway.”
Working together with the council, specialist contractor, Kiely Bros Ltd. will manage and deliver this year’s programme. They will build on previous surface dressing works delivered in 2024 which improved 65 miles of carriageway across the area.
Mike Kiely, Managing Director of Kiely Bros said: “We are delighted to be delivering another comprehensive surface dressing programme across Westmorland and Furness this season. It’s fantastic to work alongside such a forward-thinking and proactive local authority that is maximising its highway maintenance budget and investing strategically in its infrastructure.
“Surface dressing is the most cost-effective solution for prolonging the life of roads, preventing potholes and increasing skid resistance. Delivering this year’s programme will significantly enhance the overall condition of the road network and we’re looking forward to working with both the local authority and communities to ensure there is minimal disruption to the road users, residents and business owners affected.”
