Surface dressing

Every year, we improve the county's 1,302km of roads with a regular programme of surface dressing. 

What is surface dressing

Surface dressing is a preventative maintenance process aimed at restoring the road surface. The treatment provides weatherproofing and strengthening to the existing carriageway to ensure the condition does not deteriorate further and improves skidding resistance to make the road safer. 

Why use surface dressing instead of resurfacing

Surface dressing is often misunderstood and dismissed as a cheap alternative to resurfacing. In fact, that is a myth - they are very different treatments.

A surface dressing treatment is a preventative measure while resurfacing is a corrective treatment.

Surface dressing

We treat a road with surface dressing to extend its life before it suffers significant damage. We may use it in situations where a road surface is still in reasonable condition.

When used at the right time, surface dressing delays the need to do more significant work and is a fast process, causing less disruption to residents and road users.

Resurfacing

Resurfacing takes place when the road has significant or structural damage. The process involves removing the existing road surface and replacing it with a new layer of asphalt or concrete. This process is more expensive and time-consuming than surface dressing.

Will surface dressing leave a smooth finish

The nature of the material will not leave a completely smooth finish or improve the overall ride quality.  This process removes the need to dig out and replace the existing carriageway, which is structurally sound and significantly reduces the cost and the carbon emissions.  It is therefore better for the environment and ensures our available budgets can be maximised.

A well-designed surface dressing applied at the right time can prolong the life of a road by up to 10-15 years.

How works may affect you

You can find information about access to homes and businesses during roadworks here.