Spray is used to protect roads

ROADS across Worcestershire are to be sprayed with a special substance to help slow down the rate at which they deteriorate.

The £3.8million surface dressing programme will improve more than 350 roads across across the county. A total of 1.78million square metres of road surface will be sprayed with a coating of bitumen to waterproof roads, followed by one or more layers of stone chippings to restore skid resistance. Work will begin from April 14 and last until August.

Surface dressing is up to ten times cheaper than other methods of repairing roads, causes minimum disruption to traffic as it can be laid quickly and will also help reduce the number of potholes on the county's roads as it will prevent water from seeping into the road foundation and weakening it, delaying the need for complete rebuilding of a road. As traffic can be allowed to travel on the new surface almost immediately it will also prevent disruption and lengthy closures.

Coun John Smith, responsible for highways and transport, said: "This is the most extensive surface dressing programme we have ever undertaken and the investment shows we're as committed as ever to improving things for those using our roads. What surface dressing allows us to do is catch a road half-way through its lifespan and give it an extension. It’s something that has been used successfully for a number of years and it offers great value for money as catching things at this stage removes the need for even more costlier work in the future."

Details about the programme will be revealed as work begins and progresses. Residents and traders will be contacted in advance of any work.

Over the last 12 months the county council has carried out more than 13,500 road repairs, down from around 33,000 in 2010/11 due to the milder winter this year.

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