Road scheme 'expected to take about three weeks'

With winter behind us, the focus of a roads programme changes to work preventing "smaller issues from becoming major problems", Telford and Wrekin Council says.

Its surface-dressing programme is under way and expected to take about three weeks to complete, with temporary traffic management being part of the scheme.

The council was "fixing and protecting roads early, before problems like potholes appear", it said.

Deputy leader and cabinet member for highways, housing and enforcement Richard Overton said: "By treating the road surface sooner, we can keep it safer, slow down wear and tear, and make it last longer, instead of waiting for it to break down."

The authority had been "moving into a preventative highways programme," it said.

The surface-dressing programme will take place at the following places:

• Southall Road (from Southall Way to Brookside Avenue)
• Mosclay Road
• Hadley Road
• Pemberton Road Estate in Admaston
• Crowdale Road Estate in Shawbirch
• Station Road and Blacksmith Hill in Wrockwardine Village
• Aston Lane from the B5061 in Aston
• Bluebell Lane in Walcott up to the boundary near the missing bridge
• Main Road in Waters Upton

Temporary traffic management will be used where needed to keep road users and crews safe.

Residents "are thanked for their patience while these works are completed".

One of the main treatments being used is surface dressing, which "seals the road surface, protects it from water damage and restores skid resistance".

Work includes applying an initial layer of tar and chippings, sweeping to bed the surface in, another application to secure chippings and reinstating road markings, the council said.

This type of maintenance "cuts down on major disruption by avoiding large‑scale resurfacing work, and offers better value for money, because treating roads early costs far less than carrying out full repairs later on".

Much of Telford's highways infrastructure, built "rapidly" in the 1960s and 70s, was "now reaching the end of its original design life".

Key structures, junctions and commuter routes across the borough were undergoing "targeted renewal" to ensure long-term safety and performance, the council said.

The project is part of a programme of road improvements planned for this year, supported by £91m of funding.

The council said there had been accolades, such as "being one of the top eight local authorities for reducing potholes over the last four years".

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