£3m programme to improve area’s roads
Road improvements are due to begin in Driffield and the Wolds this spring and summer as East Riding of Yorkshire Council looks to help protect against potholes and other damage.
The council is investing £3 million across the East Riding in its annual surface dressing programme, with several stretches of road in the Wolds Weekly area set to be upgraded as part of the scheme.
Around 13,000 tonnes of stone chippings will be laid on road surfaces between April and September, from A roads to unclassified routes.
In Driffield and the Wolds, the chosen roads for 2023 are:
● Driffield – Wansford Road
● Bainton – Applegarth Lane, Kirkburn Road, Neswick Road
● Brandesburton – Hempholme Lane, Hempholme Road, Mill Lane
● Kirkburn – Eastburn Road, Kirkburn Road
● Middleton-on-the-Wolds – Front Street
● Skerne – Ricklepits
● Sledmere – Duggleby Road
● South Dalton – Kiplingcotes Road, Main Street, West End
● Wansford – Driffield Road
Surface dressing is used by the council, which claims it is a quick and economical way of repairing, maintaining and extending the life of a road.
It is carried out every year by the council’s highways maintenance team, with the work involving hot, sticky bitumen being sprayed onto the road, spreading chippings on top and then using a roller to press them in.
Road sweepers are then used to clear any loose chippings a couple of days later.
The process is said to reduce the risk of potholes forming as it seals the road and stops water from entering and damaging the surface, whilst improving skid resistance for vehicles.
It is done during spring and summer as the process requires warmer temperatures for the bitumen and chippings to take effect.
“Surface dressing is always our first line of defence against potholes and other damage and it plays an important part in protecting the East Riding’s roads for years to come,” said Councillor Chris Matthews, the council’s portfolio holder for environment and climate change.
“Thank you in advance to residents and motorists for their patience while we carry out this year’s scheme.”
Signs will be placed on all roads to be surface dressed a week before the work takes place.
The council has said that disruption to traffic will be minimal, however, drivers are asked to stick to the 20mph limits that will be in place to protect the public and the workforce.
After the surface dressing is completed, any loose stone chippings left behind are collected by road sweepers and stored.
Every two years, the council hires an industrial washing and grading machine to clean all the loose chippings so they can be recycled and reused on the roads the following year.
The council says that this process recycles more than 7,000 tonnes of chippings and saves around £60,000 of council taxpayers’ money.
