A PROGRAMME of highway maintenance schemes across Darlington has been confirmed, with a number of residential and commuter routes set to be resurfaced or treated as well as £1.2 million for potholes from a new Government fund.

Work on Darlington's roads, as part of a £1.7 million programme, is due to start this month but will only do so once safety and hygiene measures are in place to ensure social distancing.

The condition of road surfaces in Darlington is regularly monitored, allowing evidence based decisions to be made about the programme of works each year.

The maintenance budget of £1.2 million for 2020/21 will be used on resurfacing schemes, while an additional £500,000 will be spent for a fourth year on micro-asphalting, which seals a road surface and prevents damaging water ingress, extending its life by up to ten years.

The Government has also confirmed an additional £1.2m of funding for Darlington through its Pothole Fund.

In the first instalment of work, different techniques will be used for the first time, each with environmental and cost benefits that are "crucial going forward in helping us reach our climate change commitments".

In some areas, a ‘warm-mix’ of materials will be used instead of a ‘hot-mix’, which cuts fuel consumption, the production of greenhouse gases and allows roads to be reopened more quickly.

This technique, which has been developed thanks to advances in the production of materials used in the process, will be used on roads including Barnes Road, Stanhope Road South and West Street.

Another technique is carriageway recycling which sees the old carriageway material taken up into the body of the resurfacing machine, mixed with new materials and then immediately laid back on the lower surface of the road. This process, which is then topped with new surface asphalt, uses less resources.

Roads earmarked for this process include Estoril Road and Fenby Avenue.

Councillor Andy Keir, cabinet member for local services, said: “Despite the upheaval of the last few months, we’re pleased that our summer programme of highways maintenance schemes will soon be underway.

“We have prioritised residential roads and key commuter routes around the borough with this programme so that residents will see the maximum benefits. We know that the condition of our road network is a key priority for road users and thanks to the investment we’ve made in our highways we’ve seen strong improvements.

“We ask residents and drivers to be patient with us during the works, which may take a little longer than usual while everyone involved gets used to the requirements placed on us by social distancing.

“The council, along with many other local authorities, has pressed upon the Government the need for additional funding to repair our highways networks of the damage caused by a series of cold, wet winters. I’m delighted the Government has listened and provided funds that will double our existing resurfacing budget for 2020/21 and we’re already looking at where it can be best spent.”