Wiltshire Council is repairing and extending the life of more roads around the county, with its latest micro asphalt treatment programme under way.

Micro-asphalt surface treatment is a fast and cost-effective way to maintain and improve road surfaces. It helps extend the life of roads by sealing them to prevent water damage and by restoring the surface texture, which improves safety and durability.

The process uses a mix of materials, including bitumen with added fibres, small stones and cement, to smooth out the existing surface and fill in small potholes, while the second layer creates the final road finish.

The treatment helps to extend the life of a road for several years, keeping roads in good condition with minimal disruption, as traffic can use the road again in an hour after the treatment is complete.

Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “Our micro asphalt programme is an efficient and effective way to extend the life of our roads with minimal disruption to residents.

“The treatment is currently mainly used on roads without high volumes of traffic, such as those on housing estates, but we are also currently trialling its use on main roads, to see how it holds up to higher traffic volumes. If the trial is successful, we will look to broaden the use of this method to maintain a greater number of roads across the county more efficiently and with reduced disruption.

“We’re committed to investing in preventative maintenance like this, which not only saves money in the long term but also helps keep Wiltshire’s roads safer and more reliable for everyone who uses them.“

PIC-WILTSHIRE CC