Work to repair roads that are near the end of their life has been completed in Luton.
These roads have been resurfaced to replace damage to the layers in the surface that cannot be treated or repaired in any other way.
Working with its contractor VolkerHighways, this year Luton Council has completed 48,204 square metres of resurfacing, which has taken place on 28 roads across the borough.
Resurfacing repairs the structural failure in the lower layers of the road as well as the surface, restoring shape and strength.
The council has used some of the latest high-definition imagery to understand in detail the condition of its road network before it starts planning works. This also enables the highways teams to target specific sections of roads when possible, saving on precious new road materials, reducing carbon and saving money.
The work is part of the council’s £5 million programme of highway works this year, which has seen over 1,500 potholes fixed as well as the use of sustainable surface treatments that have reduced the number of potholes forming on roads around Luton in the future.
Next year will see at least an extra £500,000 for Luton’s roads following the government announcement that will see £8.3bn invested in England’s road network over 11-years as part of its roads investment plan. This is on top of an extra £200 million announced recently to help fix potholes.
That is because you told us that improving the roads was the highest priority when asked for feedback about highways and transportation issues.
Cllr Javed Hussain, portfolio holder for sustainable development and highways at Luton Council said: “Resurfacing is a vital part of our annual road repair programme providing smoother surfaces that are free of potholes. The additional investment allocated to fixing Luton’s roads this year is a clear commitment from to ensure that damage on our road network is worked on as soon as possible. Unfortunately, road closures have been inevitable while this work has been going on and thank you for your understanding whilst unavoidable road delays occurred.”
Jerry Pert, Operations Director at VolkerHighways said: “Resurfacing roads and repairing potholes forms a large part of our work. The investment ensures we continue to maintain your roads to the highest quality, while adopting innovative solutions that are cost-effective and reliable.”