Extra funding means more Norfolk’s roads can be included in pothole repair plan

Potholes and the poor condition of many roads is a hot topic of conversation and on Monday repair work costing £12 million is set to start on 320 miles of the county’s roads.

Norfolk County Council starts its annual spring and summer surface dressing programme with a new seal to help prevent potholes forming and extending the life of roads with a new skid-resistant surface to reduce the risk of accidents.

The work will continue through until September. Extra funding from the Department of Transport will mean more roads can be included in this year’s programme which will see high tourism areas and main roads targeted first, so they are complete before the start of the busy summer season.

Grahame Bygrave, director of highways, transport & waste, said: “The way that we invest in and maintain the roads across the county is what sees us come out on top for the past two years in the National Highways & Transportation survey for overall customer satisfaction.

“It’s fantastic to be able to expand the miles of road which will be given a new lease of life this year, benefiting from our proactive highway maintenance approach which is proven to help prevent potholes forming and offers the best value to residents.

“Maintaining our roads is key to enabling the Norfolk economy to both function and grow, as our highways are vital to every resident, business and visitor to Norfolk.”

The council said last year, Norfolk was the top performing county council in the country when it came to road repairs.

According to Department of Transport statistics, the council fixed 92 per cent of repairs reported during 2023/24, and in the same year it achieved first place overall in the National Highways and Transportation customer satisfaction survey.

Surface dressing uses a waterproofing seal which consists of a thin layer of bitumen and stone chippings laid onto the road.

This helps prevent water penetration and reduces the number of potholes forming when it freezes.

People living along the routes which are due to be treated will receive notification a day or two before the crews arrive.

They will be asked not to park on the road on the day of the surface dressing work, or on the following day when surplus chippings will be swept up.

People are urged to drive slowly and considerately across the new surface until it is bedded in, and highway teams return to sweep up.

This is because vehicles being driven over the new surface play an important part in helping it to settle.

A 20mph speed restriction will be imposed during work and on freshly laid surface dressing for safety reasons, the council said.

The work will be carried out by the county council’s infrastructure department and its contractors.