Work aims to delay potholes forming for 10 years

News imageWestmorland and Furness Council A lorry lowers chippings on to a road while workman sit on the back of the vehicle. The scene - a rural road with sweeping bend and green fields on either side - is pictured from above. The lorry has a white cab, in the foreground, and the trailer behind is hydraulic and tilted to about 25 degrees to allow the grey coloured contents to pour into other heavy equipment behind.Westmorland and Furness Council
Westmorland and Furness Council will protect 60 roads

Work has begun on a £3.4m project to seal 67 miles (108km) of road with a treatment to designed to stop potholes.

Westmorland and Furness Council said the work on 60 roads will seal surfaces to stop water seeping in, protecting them from wet and freezing weather.

It claimed the treatment - which sees hot bitumen sprayed on to the road, followed by a layer of stone chippings pressed to form a hard-wearing surface - could delay the development of potholes for up to 10 years.

The council's cabinet member for highways, Peter Thornton, said the work would prevent "minor issues from escalating into bigger problems".

The council said minimal delays would be expected during the work and traffic would be allowed back on to the new surface immediately, but at a reduced speed, to help bed the chippings in.

A final sweep of each carriageway will be carried out seven days after the sealant is applied and the roads will then receive new markings.

Signs will be put up and leaflets distributed to homes two weeks before work begins at each location.

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