Home / Environment / Oxfordshire Paves Way: £8m Pothole Prevention Plan
Oxfordshire Paves Way: £8m Pothole Prevention Plan
29 Mar
Summary
- Over one million square meters of Oxfordshire roads will get treatment.
- The council plans £8m for highway maintenance this spring.
- Surface dressing can extend road life by up to 10 years.
Oxfordshire County Council is launching an £8 million highway maintenance initiative this spring, beginning in April. The program will involve surface dressing on over one million square meters of carriageway across 87 roads.
This preventative work follows an unusually severe winter that led to a substantial increase in pothole reports, with 2,400 potholes repaired in January. Council officials emphasized that proactive maintenance is more effective and cost-efficient than reactive pothole repairs.
The surface dressing process, to be carried out by highway contractor M Group in 62 towns and villages between April and June, applies a bituminous emulsion followed by chippings. This treatment is designed to extend the lifespan of roads by up to 10 years.
Following the completion of the work, a temporary 20mph speed limit will be advised due to the increased risk of skidding. This initiative addresses the strain on road surfaces from heavy traffic, with 4.79 billion vehicle miles travelled in the county in 2024.
