Surface dressing
Surface dressing is a preventative treatment, to prolong the life of the roads. It is an essential part of our road maintenance strategy, alongside reconstruction, resurfacing and patching.
Surface dressing:
- helps prevent potholes forming by providing a waterproof seal, preventing the ingress of water
- provides a new skid resistance running surface
- is a cost-effective preventative measure to extend the structural lifespan of roads
- helps prevent disrepair and the need for more extensive and expensive repairs
We typically carry out surface dressing between April and September, when the weather is warm and dry enough for the treatment to be effective.
Before we start
We’ll put up yellow advance warning signs on the affected road at least seven days before work starts.
If you live on a road due to be treated, you’ll receive a leaflet explaining what to expect. We recommend moving your vehicle to another location before the works begin – especially if you’ll need access during the day.
During the works
To keep everyone safe while we work, we use traffic management. This might include temporary road closures, convoy working or stop/go boards.
Surface dressing uses heavy machinery and hot bitumen. If you need access to or from your property, speak to one of our traffic management team – they’ll help you as quickly and safely as possible.
Please avoid walking or driving through wet bitumen. It can stick to shoes, tyres and surfaces such as driveways and carpets.
After the works
Some loose chippings will remain on the road for a short time – this is completely normal. We’ll sweep the road at regular intervals after the treatment:
- within 48 hours
- between 7 and 10 days
- between 12 and 13 weeks
- in February or March, if required
We’ll also repaint road markings as soon as possible. These may look slightly different from previous markings to make sure they meet the latest standards and guidance.
Weather and scheduling
Surface dressing depends on dry weather. Rain or damp surfaces stop the bitumen from sticking properly, so we may need to reschedule at short notice if the forecast changes.
Surface dressing programme
You can view our latest surface dressing programme, including current schemes, dates and updates: