Highway maintenance schemes

We are responsible for maintaining around 558 km of carriageways and 629 km of footways. To do this effectively, all of Darlington’s roads are routinely surveyed by independent specialist highway engineers.

The survey data indicates;

• the condition of the roads
• prioritises them based on value management
• suggests the optimal treatments for each road.

Our highway engineers use this data to produce a prioritised programme of works for the next 5 years[pdf document]

Although these programmes are based on the most up to date information, they are subject to change due to levels of funding and potential accelerated deterioration of the roads.

We carry out the following annual maintenance programmes.

Structural Maintenance

This is required when the road has deteriorated beyond preventative measures (see below) and requires the replacement of one (or all) of the bituminous layers using traditional techniques. In some situations, the road can be recycled by pulverising the defective layers, mixing with an additive, compacting and finished with a new bituminous surface.

Preventative Maintenance

This cost-effective treatment will restore skid resistance and extend the life of a road by sealing the surface and protecting it from damage caused by water and UV light. Preventative maintenance usually involves no replacement of material unless minor repairs are required in advance. We do this by using a variety of treatments including:

• micro-asphalt – this protects the existing road surface with the application of a thin layer of bitumen emulsion and small aggregate. It restores surface texture, improves skid resistance, prevents potholes by sealing the surface and has the ability to reshape roads and smooth out some of the uneven areas. Further information on the micro asphalt process [pdf document]
• surface dressing – this process involves spraying a layer of liquid bitumen on to the road to seal it, followed by one or more layers of stone chippings. The road is then rolled to embed the chippings and swept 3 times to remove excess chippings. This process prevents water penetration, improves skid resistance and slows down the disintegration of the carriageway.

Footway Maintenance

Footways are maintained in various ways, depending upon location and existing materials.  Footways can be replaced using paving flags or bituminous material. On bituminous footways we can also prevent deterioration by using micro asphalt as we do with roads.

Back Lane Refurbishment

Traditionally these back lanes were built of scoria blocks. Whilst these back lanes were at the time of building, fit for purpose, many of them are now deteriorating. We reconstruct these lanes using bituminous materials and relay the scorias along the edges and centre as a feature.

Schemes that will be carried out by highways in 2024/25

The highway maintenance budget for 2024/25 is £2.5m. This budget will be used to fund the following schemes.