Work to protect Luton’s roads from potholes appearing has gathered pace with the start of the annual surface dressing programme.

More than 35,000 square metres of surface dressing will be laid on the network this summer by the council’s specialist contractor RMS. This is the equivalent to more than five times the size of the pitch at Luton Town’s Football Club’s home, Kenilworth Road.

Surface dressing is a cost-effective way of restoring the road surface and sealing it in one process. It also helps waterproof the road and improve skid resistance, so it is safer for all vehicles to travel on.

The process uses up to 75 per cent less bitumen and up to 80 per cent less aggregate per square metre compared to other maintenance techniques, which will reduce the council’s carbon footprint. 

Surface dressing involves spraying a bitumen binder (a sticky substance) on clean, dry road surfaces, over which stone chippings are spread. The surface is rolled to embed the stones into the bitumen. The weight of vehicles passing over these loose stones will force them into the bitumen to finish the new road surface, protecting and preserving it for over a decade.

Cllr Javed Hussain, portfolio holder for sustainable development and highways at Luton Borough Council said: “We can only have better roads in the future if we treat them before they get into a bad condition. Surface dressing allows us to do just this, protecting and preserving our roads for many years to come, enabling us to save money by reducing the amount of cracks and potholes and the need for more expensive repairs.”