£17m invested into road resurfacing

Millions of pounds are being invested in helping to keep County Durham’s roads moving.

Durham County Council is continuing its commitment to maintaining and improving the county’s highway network, with a significant investment of £17m in the 2025/26 financial year.

This funding is enabling the resurfacing and treatment of over 700,000 square metres of road across 100 locations.

To sustain and extend the life of the county’s roads this year, the council is using a variety of surface treatments. This includes:

• Nearly 350,000 square metres of surface dressing.
• 110,000 square metres of micro asphalt.
• Approximately 210,000 square metres of roads resurfaced with inlay and overlay.
• Around 55,000 square metres of structural patching.

Cllr Tim McGuinness, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for rural, communities and highways, said: “To ensure investment is directed where it is most needed, we develop a three-year resurfacing programme which carefully prioritises roads to be treated.

“We use information on road conditions, how often a road is used, accident history, and recommendations from highway inspectors to determine the programme.

“Our approach is guided by the principle of the right treatment at the right time, ensuring long-term value and safety for road users.”

The council has recently acquired a new Integrated Highway Asset Management System, which uses data to deliver a more cost effective and streamlined service.

This uses Artificial intelligence (AI) in council vehicles to gather real time data on road and footpath conditions.

This information is automatically uploaded into the asset management system, making it possible to repair roads faster, keeping them safer.

For more information on the council’s highways maintenance programme, visit www.durham.gov.uk/roadresurfacingprogramme.

• Pictured top: Paul Watson, left, Durham County Council’s highways services manager, and Cllr Tim McGuinness, cabinet member for rural, communities and highways.