2017 surface dressing programme complete ahead of winter months

Essex Highways engineers have resurfaced approximately 10 million square metres of roads in the last three years – the equivalent of 10 laps around the M25.

Essex County Council says during the summer 2017 programme of works its crews have surfaced more than three million square metres of road – sufficient to cover the entire area of the City of London.

‘Surface dressing’ is a widely-used technique in which a coating of sticky bitumen binder is applied to a road before stone chippings are rolled on top. It provides a skid-resistant and long-lasting surface, with the added advantage of being quick to apply and enabling the road to be reopened immediately.

Surface dressing can only be carried out during the warmer months, as works can be adversely affected by rain and cold weather.

Other highways maintenance works – including sweeping excess chippings, repainting lines and replacing reflective studs – will continue into October, while more intensive resurfacing and pothole fixing, which are less weather dependent, will continue into the cooler months.

Cllr Ian Grundy, Essex County Council cabinet member for highways, said:

“Many thousands of drivers and riders are already appreciating these smoother, safer, longer-lasting roads right across the county. Road surfacing not only fixes potholes, it prevents them forming for years afterwards.

“Keeping Essex roads moving and in a good condition is not done by accident. Crews work tirelessly throughout the year to ensure we keep on top of wear and weather-related damage on the more than 5,000 miles of road we maintain.

“Road surfacing is one crucial tool we use to do this. We are working hard with our partner companies to develop ever-more efficient techniques to ensure we can deliver more, for less, for Essex taxpayers.”

13 September 2017