MOTORISTS are being warned that hundreds of miles of roads in North Yorkshire will be surface treated this summer to extend its life.

North Yorkshire County Council’s surface dressing programme begins this month and will continue throughout the summer, covering 200-miles of the county's road network.

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Surface dressing is a quick, efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining skid-resistant and waterproof road surfaces.

It helps to prevent deterioration, extends the life of the road for up to ten years and restores a uniform appearance.

The process involves spraying the surface with bitumen, then spreading stone chippings on top and rolling these into the bitumen.

Once the bitumen has set, the road is swept to remove any loose chippings.

This year’s programme will be the first delivered by NY Highways, the roads maintenance company created by the county council last year.

NY Highways has employed a new contractor, Kiely Bros.

Ross Bullerwell, managing director of NY Highways, said: “Over the past four months we have worked with Kiely Bros to prepare them for the contract, to make sure they understand what we demand in terms of finish and quality.

"The company has already been providing white lining services for us and we have received good local feedback about their work.”

Barrie Mason, assistant director for highways and transportation, added: “We know the value of surface dressing from experience.

"It is vital in maintaining the condition of our roads network.

"That’s why it is a key component of our annual roads maintenance programme.

“Year after year, through the programme we enhance the quality of sections of our road network.

"This is crucial in ensuring that businesses, residents and visitors can travel with confidence.

"The accumulative impact of this programme is there for all to see.”

The contractor will put up signage at each location before work starts to alert residents and drivers.

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Mr Mason added: “The contractor carries out the work quickly, and the programme can be affected by weather.

"This can make communicating exact dates challenging, so we urge residents to check the advance site signage regularly.

"The contractor will amend this to highlight any change in the schedule.

“After a stretch of road has been treated, it is important for drivers to heed the temporary speed limit put in place while the new surface stabilises to prevent damage to their own vehicle and those of other road users.”

It may be necessary to close some roads prior to the surface dressing to allow for removal of road studs.

Further short term closures may also be required following the completion of the works to allow for reinstatement of road markings and road studs.

 

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