Derbyshire County Council pledges to 'improve' more than 70 miles of roads

Derbyshire County Council says it will improve more than 70 miles of roads between now and next summer.
Derbyshire County Council looks after around 3,500 miles of road.Derbyshire County Council looks after around 3,500 miles of road.
Derbyshire County Council looks after around 3,500 miles of road.

The council looks after around 3,500 miles of roads and pavements and is set to surface dress around 50 miles of road by the end of September and completely resurface 23 miles by summer 2020.

Councillor Simon Spencer, the council's cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure, said: "We know that keeping our roads in good condition is a top priority for road users so over the next few months our own road workers and contractors will be busy across the county taking advantage of the hopefully better weather."

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Coun Spencer added: "We'll be surface dressing around 50 miles of road, including stretches of the A515 around Buxton and Ashbourne, the A514 in Swadlincote, the A609 in Kilburn and the longest stretch - five miles - of the A61 Dronfield bypass from Bowshaw roundabout to Whittington Moor roundabout."

A council spokesperson said: "Surface dressing is a technique that extends the life of a road surface between 10 to 15 years. First any potholes are mended, then a layer of bitumen is laid which acts as the glue for the chippings that are rolled on top.

"Driving over the chippings helps to further bed them in and any loose chippings are then swept away several weeks later.

"Roads can only be surface dressed when the weather is warmer and the materials can bind together more effectively and the chippings are less likely to be washed away by rain."

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The spokesperson added: "The council is also resurfacing 23 miles of roads, including parts of the A57 Snake Pass and parts of the A5012 Via Gellia and A6.

"Resurfacing is carrying out more extensive repairs to the structure of a road. It can involve removing several centimetres of worn out road surface and replacing it with new material which is then rolled out to give a smooth surface.

"Find out which roads around the county are being surface dressed and resurfaced at derbyshire.gov.uk/roadsurfacing.

"Potholes and other road defects can be reported at derbyshire.gov.uk/reportit. A reference number will be generated so progress of the fix can be tracked."