Improvement Scheme Aimed At Preventing Potholes Is Underway

Work is underway on a £2.3million road improvement scheme across the East Riding which will help to prevent potholes.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s highways maintenance team began work on its annual road surface dressing scheme as part of essential works being carried out on 6 April 2021.

Over the next five months, the highways crews will upgrade road surfaces at 207 locations. 

Around 13,000 tonnes of stone chippings will be laid on 67 miles of road, from A roads to unclassified routes.

This year’s surface dressing programme has been extended to incorporate some urban sites that were delayed from last year due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

Adam Holmes, head of infrastructure & facilities at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:

“We have a trusted track record of delivering innovative schemes to help our residents and businesses. This scheme allows us to continue to improve roads across the East Riding which are in need of repair.”

“We understand that potholes are a nuisance to our residents, so we hope this work can help to treat the roads which require the work most. We’d like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience these works may cause, but look forward to the improvements the scheme will provide.”

Surface dressing is carried out every year by the council between April and August, as a quick and economical way of repairing, maintaining and extending the life of a road.

The work involves spraying hot, bitumen on to the road, spreading chippings on top, and then using a roller to press them in.

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 improves skid resistance for vehicles.

Surface dressing is carried out during the spring and summer months as it requires warmer temperatures for the bitumen and chippings to take effect.

Residents and motorists notified in advance while signs will be placed on all roads involved in the surface dressing a week before the work takes place.

Disruption to traffic will be kept to a minimum, but 20mph speed limits will be in place to protect both the travelling public and the council’s workforce. We apologise for any delays to journeys these repairs may have for residents.

Loose chippings are recycled

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.

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.