Annual summer road improvements underway

10 Jun 2025

Work is getting underway on the council’s summer programme to make travelling on Northumberland’s roads a smoother experience.   

Some 44 miles of roads across 40 areas will be repaired and improved in the county’s annual ‘surface dressing’ initiative. 

This repair method is used where the existing road surface has worn over a period of several years. This can lead to minor cracks, allowing water to enter and cause damage which can result in potholes forming as well as reducing the skidding resistance of the road.   

Surface dressing seals the cracks, protects the underlying road structure and improves its overall condition, extending the life of the road. 

Where required, teams have also carried out patching works along the length of road before the surface dressing treatment takes place.   

This year’s £4.3m programme will see road surfaces improved across the county from the Scottish border down to the southeast corner of the county and over into Tynedale. 

The work forms part of the council’s Local Transport Plan Programme, and this year the authority will be investing £37.7m in maintaining and improving the county’s highway and transport network.   

Councillor Mark Mather, Cabinet Member for Roads and Highways, explained: “These roads are essential routes between our communities and it’s crucial they are kept in a good state of repair for everyone who uses them. 

“Our annual programme of surface dressing will see improvements to roads across the county. During the works there may be minor delays for road users but these will be kept to a minimum.  

“We’d ask drivers to take extra care and follow the speed limit signs on the recently surface dressed roads until essential road sweeping has taken place to remove loose road chippings.”  

More details of where works will be taking place over the coming weeks and months can be found at >> nland.cc/SDlocations