CONTRACTORS Kiely Bros and Somerset Council’s highways team are preparing to surface dress some West Somerset roads as part of a spring/summer maintenance programme.

Surface dressing is a nationally recognised maintenance technique for sealing a road, improving skid resistance, and preventing water penetrating under the surface.

It is crucial in helping to stop the formation of potholes and 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’s surface dressing programme is flexible, and dates can change at short notice.

West Somerset roads where the work will be carried out include various stretches of the B3224, including Luxborough, Cutcombe, Brompton Regis, and Tolland, the A396 at Exebridge, and the A39 at Nether Stowey.

Most sites are completed within a single day and in some cases in ‘a couple of hours’, although larger sites can take up to three days.

Roads stay open in most cases with traffic managed with stop/go boards, but some narrow locations may need short, temporary closures for safety reasons.

Somerset Council warned there could also be brief spells when vehicular access to properties was not possible.

‘Business open as usual’ signs will be used where necessary.

Somerset executive Cllr Richard Wilkins 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.”

Cllr Wilkins said anybody with specific access needs was advised to speak to the team on site, who would usually be able to help.

The council will publish more details on the affected roads before any work starts.