AN ANNUAL programme of surface dressing to maintain and protect roads in Richmondshire begins this month.

North Yorkshire County Council will begin the work on May 12.

Surface dressing involves spraying bitumen onto the road surface then covering it with a layer of chippings. The process can extend the life of a road by up to ten years. Barrie Mason, assistant director for Highways and Transportation, said: “Surface dressing is comparatively low-cost at just a fifth of the price of resurfacing. This means we can treat a much larger proportion of the road network each year, preventing the need for much more expensive work later. We know the process is not popular with some drivers, mainly because of loose chippings, but the speed of the operation and its long-term benefits, as well as the short time for which motorists are inconvenienced, are important factors.

“It is important that traffic is allowed onto the new surface because chippings need traffic to fully push them into the road. However, it is also important that drivers keep to the speed limit to allow the surface to stabilise and to avoid damage to their vehicles. That is why we put in place a 20mph speed limit during the early life of the dressing.”

Information boards will be erected in the areas where work is to take place and letters will be delivered to affected properties.