MULTIPLE Somerset roads are set to be surface dressed as part of a Spring/Summer maintenance programme, with possible road closures to be implemented.
Somerset Council’s Highways team and contractor Kiely Bros are preparing to surface dress multiple Somerset roads, including Trenchard Way, Taunton, and the A38 Stonegallows.
Surface dressing is a nationally recognised maintenance technique for sealing a road, improving skid resistance, and preventing water from getting under the surface.
Somerset Council said this is 'crucial' to help stop potholes forming. It works by coating an existing road with bitumen, covering it with stone chippings and then rolling it.
The work can only be carried out in dry weather, so the council said its surface dressing programme is flexible, and dates can change at short notice.
Most sites are completed within a single day or in a couple of hours, the council said. However, larger sites may take between one and three days.
The council said in most cases, the roads will stay open, and traffic will be managed using stop/go boards.
Some narrow locations may need a short, temporary road closure to 'keep everyone safe'. The council said, due to this, there may also be brief spells when access to properties is not possible.
For the safety of the public and workforce, these works use short-duration road closures.
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Pedestrian access will be unaffected; there may be delays for vehicle access. 'Business open as usual' signs will be in place where necessary.
Those with specific access needs are advised to speak to the team on site, the council said.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s lead member for transport and waste services, said: “Every summer we deliver this programme so that our network remains safe. Surface dressing is critically important in keeping our highways running efficiently.
“Surface dressing is used on roads still in good condition to extend their life. It works much like repainting wooden windows – regular maintenance is essential.”
This year’s key routes in the programme include:
Taunton area: Trenchard Way, Taunton; A38 Stonegallows.
Yeovil and South Somerset area: A37 Dorchester Road - Closworth; A37 at East Coker, Barwick and Stoford, Chilthorne Domer and Byrmpton; A30 East Chinnock; A3088 Cartgate Link; A372 Huish Episcopi.
West Somerset: B3224 – various locations including Luxborough, Cutcombe, Brompton Regis and Tolland; A396 Exebridge.
Mendip area: A3098 Frome; A362, Frome; A37 Shepton Mallet-Gurney Slade; A371 Wells-Shepton Mallet.
Sedgemoor area: A39 Nether Stowey; A39 Woolavington-Ashill; Love Lane, Burnham-on-Sea.
More details on the affected routes will be publicised before works start on Travel Somerset on X and Facebook. There, you can check which roads are being surface dressed.
If you need to report an overgrown verge, pothole or more, you can do so online. You can see dates of planned works via the Somerset Council’s website.
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