Asset investment
Potholes and road surface treatments
Potholes are a symptom of a damaged or worn out road/footway. When the surface has reached its end of life a structural maintenance scheme is necessary.
Surface dressing
Replacing old road or footway surfaces is expensive. Structural maintenance schemes involve removing and replacing the existing material. Costs vary depending on depth and length, but can be up to £150 per square metre. These works are extensive and take a large share of the highway maintenance budget.
Better Value for Money
It’s more cost-effective to extend the life of surfaces through preventative maintenance.
This treatment:
- Protects the structure from water damage
- Restores skid resistance
- Delays major deterioration by around 15 years per treatment
Costs
Preventative treatments are tailored to the road or surface type. Costs vary depending on the treatment and skid resistance needed, but are up to £10 per square metre. This is significantly cheaper than structural maintenance.
Preventative maintenance
Preventative maintenance treatments such as surface dressing*, micro asphalt, footway slurry sealing, etc, are used to preserve and extend the life of roads that are already in a reasonable to good condition.
Preventative treatments must be applied before serious damage occurs.
Repairing deterioration through routine or reactive maintenance – and eventually full resurfacing – is much more expensive and causes more traffic disruption.
Benefits of Preventative Treatments
- Roads last three to four times longer with preventative treatments.
- Most treatments are completed within one day at each site.
- Some preparation may be needed before, and lining or cat’s eye replacement may follow later.
When We Carry Out Treatments
- Carriageways – Late March or April to September
- Footways – All year round
- Work may happen outside normal hours or on restricted days.
- All treatments depend on weather, which can affect start times and working hours.
For further information on preventative maintenance treatments, please visit our road surface treatments page.
