Friday, 12 May 2023 at 12:56

By Emma Downes @emma_downes2021

Derbyshire County Council's £2.6 million surface dressing programme takes place next month, when 34.5 miles of road will be stone chipped.

The work, at 60 locations, is seen by the council as a cost-effective preventative repair process, which helps to prolong the life of the county’s roads and makes the council’s budget go further.

Yellow signs on each of the roads to be improved will be put up around two weeks before each job is to be carried out.

Some roads will need to be closed and diversions will be in place, while others will be closed one side at a time under ‘stop and go’ boards for around one or two hours while the works are completed.

DCC Cabinet Member for Highway Assets and Transport, Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal, said: “Our surface dressing programme is an essential part of our annual planned maintenance programme, helping to prevent potholes and extend the lifespan of local roads.

“The warmer months are when we carry out our surface dressing programme as we need better weather conditions in the day-time to dry the road and for vehicles to compact the new surface.

“As 1 mile of road can be treated in just a few hours, we can work quickly and effectively, reducing the need to close roads for any longer than is necessary, minimising delays for local residents and businesses.

“I’d like to thank residents and visitors to the county in advance for their patience and understanding while these improvement works take place.”

For efficiency the jobs have been grouped together so that all those in an area are carried out at around the same time.

The work is part of DCC’s three-year, £120 million highways capital programme, and many other roads and pavements will be resurfaced.

A full list of these roads will be published soon online at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/surfacedressing. To check roadworks in your local area, visit One.Network