A multi-million pound programme to improve North Yorkshire’s roads is about to begin.
North Yorkshire Council’s highways capital programme totals £53 million for this financial year, of which £25.3m has been allocated to road schemes.
This includes £5m for the surface dressing programme, running in April and May and covering 142 miles of roads.
A total of £6.7m will be spent on road patching at 300 sites, and a further £13.6m on road resurfacing schemes at 130 sites.
The surface dressing programme will begin at the start of April in the Selby area from Beal to Kirkby Wharfe.
From mid-April, it will progress through Harrogate, incorporating roads in Fewston and Darley.
Then it moves to the north of the county in early May, from the Darlington Road to routes in Stokesley.
From mid-May, the scheme will cover the Richmond area from Catterick Garrison to Muker and Aysgarth in the Yorkshire Dales.
It will conclude in the Skipton area including Cowling, West Marton and Cross Hills.
The council says surface dressing is a quick, efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining skid-resistant and waterproof road surfaces, helping to prevent potholes and extending the life of the road by up to ten years.
“The annual surface dressing programme is a proactive measure that is vital to maintaining a safe network and preventing potholes arising,” says the corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby.
“We carefully choose the routes and work closely with our contractors to ensure we deliver a cost-effective scheme despite ongoing inflationary pressures. The schedule will benefit residents in all areas of the county.”
North Yorkshire Council’s roadworks map will include details and dates of the works as the programme progresses.
There’s more information about surface dressing, including advice for road users and residents during the work, on the council website.