Council launches innovative surface dressing programme
Tuesday, 8 August 2023
Drivers in Central Bedfordshire can look forward to smoother journeys thanks to resurfacing works taking place this summer.
We are out upgrading the condition of more than 70 roads across the county, repairing some of the damage caused by cold and wet conditions.
For the first time ever in the area, we are trialling a new innovative surface dressing known as Lockchip which is being used on a selection of roads across the network. This innovative treatment improves both the appearance and performance of the surface dressing and stops the formation of loose chippings.
Surface dressing is a preventative treatment with the aim of prolonging the life of the road. It’s a nationally recognised maintenance technique for sealing a road, improving skid resistance and preventing water from getting under the surface. This is crucial to help stop potholes from forming.
It’s an important part of our maintenance strategy, alongside resurfacing and patching, and is proven to be an effective repair on roads and will help to save money, as resurfacing costs around 12 times more per mile.
Surface dressing is a quick process. Urban roads can be completed within two to three hours, whilst rural sites will usually take less than a day. This can allow us to surface dress more than one road in a day. Surface dressing can only be carried out in dry weather conditions, so our programme is flexible, and dates can change at short notice.
Councillor Simon Ford, Executive Member for Highways and Waste, said:
It’s great that this surface dressing programme is now underway. Every summer we deliver a programme to ensure our road network remains safe and runs efficiently, and this year our new Lockchip method will help to improve both the appearance and performance of the roads and reduce the creation of loose chippings.
We would like to thank drivers and residents for their patience and understanding whilst we are carrying out these works. We’ll do all we can to complete the works as quickly and safely as possible.
We’re always looking at ways to improve our public engagement so that we can ensure our road network is safe for everyone. If you do spot a problem on one of our roads or pavements, you can alert us quickly and easily by reporting it.
Yellow advance warning signs will be put up 10 days prior to any works starting.