Dorset roads to have their 'surface dressed' this Spring
The Council's started their annual works programme
A huge programme of work has been started by Dorset Council, doing what they describe as 'surface dressing'.
That's aimed at prolonging the life of roads by putting down a waterproof seal and improving skid resistance.
The authority's Highways Team is due to work on 446,000m² of road during this year's programme.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said:
“It’s been proven that early, preventative maintenance is the most cost-effective way to maintain roads, and surface dressing is an important part of the road treatment cycle.
“Our targeted maintenance approach – to carry out repairs specific to the damage evidenced in the individual road – ensures we can carry out maintenance on more roads compared to solely using resurfacing. This also reduces emissions by using less raw material and creating less waste.”
The work's expected to take about three months to complete.
The full timetable of where the team will be can be found on the Dorset Council website.
But we have got a list of the roads they're planning to work on after the Bank Holiday (from Tuesday 3rd May):
- Bridlebank Way, Weymouth
- Westhaven, Weymouth
- Russell Avenue Weymouth
- St. Leonards Road, Weymouth
- Newberry Road, Weymouth
- Williams Avenue, Weymouth
- Fairview Road, Weymouth
- Walker Crescent, Weymouth
- Park Estate Road, Portland
HOW DOES SURFACE DRESSING WORK?
The road needs to be closed for the work to be carried out, with on-street parking also suspended - but we are warned that the work is weather dependent.
Bitumen binder is sprayed onto the road and then compacted down with a roller.
It can then be driven on straight away, with a sweeper travelling the length of the road 48 hours later, to clear away any surplus stone.
Line painting will be carried out after that.
Dorset Council's teams will only work between 5.00am and 6.00pm - with no works at night, weekends, or Bank Holidays.