By Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Operational Highways
As summer sets in, Suffolk Highways is pleased to announce the successful completion of the first phase of its 2025 surface dressing programme – a vital tool in maintaining and extending the life of our county’s roads.
Surface dressing is a cost-effective and efficient method of road maintenance that prolongs the life of existing road surfaces, helping to avoid more disruptive and costly repairs in the future.
The process involves spraying a layer of hot bitumen onto the road, followed by a layer of stone chippings. These chippings are then rolled into the surface to create a new, textured layer that improves skid resistance and seals the road against water ingress – a major cause of potholes and structural damage over time.
This method enables us to treat a large area quickly and economically. We can typically complete the process within a day, although the road may require a short period of reduced speed limits while the surface beds in.
Since the first phase began in mid-May, we have completed more than 62,000 metres of surface dressing across 50 sites in Suffolk. This is a testament to the hard work of our teams and supply chain partners, many of whom have worked through the night or in high temperatures to keep the programme on track.
One of the most common concerns following surface dressing is the presence of loose chippings. These are a normal and expected part of the process. Although the majority are embedded during rolling, some remain loose and are gradually pressed into the surface by passing traffic.
To ensure safety and protect vehicles, temporary speed limits – usually 20mph – are introduced immediately after dressing. We urge all drivers to adhere to these limits, not only for their own safety but also to prevent vehicle damage and allow the surface to settle properly.
We have also recently trialled the use of Lockchip on one of our surface dressing sites. Lockchip is a surface seal coating applied to newly dressed roads. As the name suggests, it ‘locks in’ the chippings and seals the surface, reducing the likelihood of chipping loss – particularly beneficial on high-speed and high-traffic routes.
Lockchip also enables us to apply road markings within a few days, rather than the typical weeks-long wait associated with traditional surface dressing.
We are currently assessing the results of the trial but hope to implement this innovation more widely in Suffolk and potentially use it during phase two of the surface dressing programme. Details of the second phase are now available at www.suffolk.gov.uk/surface-dressing, should you wish to find out where we’ll be visiting next.
Although the first phase is now complete, June also marked the start of a major infrastructure improvement project in Suffolk, with essential repairs beginning on the Orwell Bridge.
The works – being carried out by National Highways, who maintain the A14 – are scheduled to continue through August. Over the next couple of months, crews will carry out vital repairs to ensure the long-term safety of the structure, which is used by thousands of motorists daily.
While we all recognise the importance of these works, the inevitable congestion from the contraflow system and reduced speed limits has understandably caused frustration.
Although this project is being managed by National Highways, as it is their asset, Suffolk Highways remains committed to minimising disruption where possible. This includes postponing non-essential repairs in the surrounding area, working closely with National Highways, and ensuring any unavoidable local works are scheduled outside of peak hours whenever possible.
We understand that no one enjoys roadworks – especially when they coincide with other major projects – but these improvements are essential to keep Suffolk moving safely and efficiently.
Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation during this period of roadworks. Your support is helping to deliver long-term benefits for communities, businesses and commuters across Suffolk.
