The county council's £3 million project to improve the quality and safety of more than 350 roads in Worcestershire is set to be completed next week.

The council launched this year's surface dressing programme in April following one of the coldest and longest winters for many years.

Over the warmer period, more than 1.78 million square metres of road have undergone  repairs, which are proven to extend the life of a road.

Although improvements of this kin - a coat of bitumen sprayed onto surfaces followed by one or more layers of stone chippings - are cheaper than a full resurfacing, using the surface dressing repair method can extend the life of a road and costs around a tenth of full resurfacing, which this preventative repair method can avoid.

This approach also allows repairs to be carried out quicker, minimising traffic disruption and is an effective way of reducing the risk of potential potholes appearing in the future.

The main advantages of the work are:

  • It prevents water from seeping into the road foundation and weakening it, reducing the chances of potholes developing and delaying the need for complete rebuilding of a road.
  • It provides a good resistance to skidding on smooth or slippery roads.
  • Traffic can be allowed to run on the new surface almost immediately, avoiding lengthy closures and disruption.
  • The speed with which it can be laid reduces delays to traffic.

Councillor John Smith, county council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: "Despite the 'great' British weather doing its best to throw as much cold weather as it can at us last winter, the county council has been able to continue its investment in the roads and ensure they are ready for whatever weather comes next.

"This is not a cheap option but it is the best way to make sure our roads can stand up to what the coming season has in store. A full resurfacing would cost significantly more and, importantly, would be wasteful as the roads identified do not need that level of repair following successive years of maintenance.

"Using the surface dressing repair method can extend the life of a road and costs around a tenth of full resurfacing, which is the best solution that offers the greatest value for money for the taxpayer."