1 week Ago
Work starts today to resurface more than 300 miles of Norfolk's roads, at a cost of £12m. Norfolk County Council is beginning its annual spring and summer road surface dressing programme. The work will see 320 miles of the county's roads given a new seal to provide a new skid-resistant surface, preventing potholes and crashes.
Officers at Conservative-controlled County Hall said the work, which will continue until September, will be done in "high tourism areas" and main roads first, so they are complete before the start of the busy summer season. Surface dressing uses a waterproofing seal which consists of a thin layer of bitumen and stone chippings which is laid onto the road. The council said that helps prevent water penetration and reduces the number of potholes forming when it freezes.
Grahame Bygrave, director of highways, transport and waste at the county said extra government cash meant the miles of road to be treated was up on the 280 miles resurfaced last year. He said: "It’s fantastic to be able to expand the miles of road which will be given a new lease of life this year, benefitting from our proactive highway maintenance approach which is proven to help prevent potholes forming and offers the best value to residents. "Maintaining our roads is key to enabling the Norfolk economy to both function and grow, as our highways are vital to every resident, business and visitor to Norfolk.
" People living along the routes due to be treated will receive notification a day or two before the crews arrive. They will be asked not to park on the road on the day of the surface dressing work, or the next day, when surplus chippings will be swept up. And motorists are urged to drive slowly, with 20mph limits in place during and directly after the work is done.
Last year, Norfolk was the top performing county council in the country when it came to road repairs . According to Department of Transport statistics, Norfolk County Council fixed 92pc of repairs reported during 2023/24. Statistics recently revealed more than 1,270 motorists have made claims against Norfolk County Council since 2022 over damage to vehicles caused by potholes.
About a fifth of the claimants have had pay outs after the authority admitted liability..
