Extra funding for road maintenance

As its annual programme gears up for spring, with extra funding Dorset Council is set to bolster its proactive measures to look after its roads. This includes more pothole repairs, resurfacing and  preventative treatments to manage road condition and maintain highway safety.

£2.068 million each for the years 2023/24 and 2024/25 from the Department for Transport (DfT) Network North fund, from reallocated HS2 government funding, together with other maintenance and pothole funds, will be dedicated to carriageway maintenance in the council area.

The council is also allocating an additional £6.03million from its own budget for highway maintenance. This will be invested in more proactive maintenance to preserve the condition of its roads.

Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “This extra funding will help us speed up our programme, reaching more roads before cracking or potholes appear, fixing potholes or making bigger repairs.

“This investment will help us keep our network in a good condition and reduce the number of reactive repairs.”

Cllr Bryan also emphasised the importance of proactive maintenance, stating: “It has been proven that early, preventative maintenance is the most cost-effective way to maintain roads.”

The council is awaiting confirmation of further government funding.

Pothole repair includes extensive patching of the wider area surrounding the defect, instead of just repairing the immediate pothole. This aims to reduce the likelihood of further potholes forming. A new method, called thermal patching will also be tested. This will reduce CO2 emissions by heating up existing asphalt (tarmac like surface), adding new binding materials and aggregates, and recompacting the road to form a permanent seamless repair.

Resurfacing takes place throughout most of the year. This rebuilds the various layers of a road to restore strength and shape, with drainage maintenance also carried out as part of the resurfacing schemes.

Preventative treatments

The council's maintenance strategy also includes preventative techniques to address specific road conditions:

Surface dressing will take place in the warmer and drier seasons of spring/summer. The treatment seals roads from water damage and restores skid resistance.

Micro-surfacing fills shallow cracks and holes and smooths out small dips and bumps in the surface to provide a regular surface.

Busy routes that are still in a good condition will receive a road preservation treatment. This is an early life preventative treatment to stop water getting through and prevent surface deterioration.

Minor roads with visible defects, uneven surfaces, sunken areas, potholes and cracking will be repaired with in-situ recycling. It is particularly good for minor roads that have poor construction but often take heavy, agricultural vehicles.

Further works will take place this year as part of the council’s regular programme of works and surveys are taking place to allocate sites for preservation or repair . This will include road preservation, surface dressing and micro surfacing. Details of these work will be publicised in advance of the works starting. Householders and businesses directly affected will be notified in advance of the works.

Network North funded schemes covering 11 miles of road resurfacing and 28,000m2 of permanent patching:

Resurfacing currently in progress for 2023/24

• Factory Lane, Buckland Newton
• Glen Avenue, Weymouth
• Dundee Road, Weymouth
• High Street, Fordington
• Holloway Road, Dorchester
• North Allington, Bridport
• Church Row, Hilton
• Angel Lane ,Shaftesbury
• Lambsgreen Lane, Corfe Mullen
• Brog Street, Corfe Mullen
• Leigh Road, Wimborne
• New Road, Parley Cross
• B3078 Fordingbridge Road, Alderholt
• Woolsbridge Road, St Ives
• Newtown Lane, Verwood
• Bay Road, Gillingham
• New Road, Sherborne
• A37, Stratton To Grimstone

Patching (thermal trial) in progress or complete

• Dorchester Road, Weymouth
• Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth
• Kings Road, Weymouth
• Damers Road, Dorchester
• Fortuneswell, Portland
• High Street, Portland

Patching (conventional) – March 2024

• High Street, Yetminster
• New Street Lane junction to junction Wells Plot 
• Benville Lane, Dorchester
• A354 Monkton Hill - Winterborne Herringston junction To Ridgeway
• B3390 Warmwell Road, North Warmwell
• Opposite Bull Inn, Coast Road
• Poundbury Crescent, Dorchester
• C126 Herringston Road, Dorchester
• Damers (Service) Road, Dorchester
• A356 Winyards Gap, Nr Chedington
• C80 Hollow Hill, Near Studio School (Kingston Maurward)
• Cockpit Hill Broadwindsor to Birdsmoorgate
• C53 Mallards Green, Martinstown 
• A353 Littlemoor Road, Weymouth
• C53 Martinstown
• B3390 Nr Waddock Cross
• Main Road, Alton Pancras
• Drimpton Road, Broadwindsor
• C28 Tollerford Lane

2024/25 financial year

Resurfacing

• Sutton Road, Sutton Poyntz (Section by Springhead Pub)
• Kirtleton Avenue - Carlton Road South to Avenue Road Weymouth
• Rip Croft, Portland
• Noah Henville Corner, Winterborne Kingston
• Wares Close, Winterborne Kingston
• High Street, Child Okeford
• Smugglers Lane, Colehill
• Church Street, Upwey Weymouth
• Southover Farm access road Tolpuddle
• Shillingstone Lane, Okeford Fitzpaine
• Knoll Lane, Corfe Mullen
• Waterloo Road, Corfe Mullen
• Meerhay Lane, Wootton Fitzpaine
• Hermitage to Holnest Park Farmhouse
• Camesworth Lane, Oxbridge
• Penny Street, Sturminster Newton
• Well Lane, Shaftesbury
• Allotment Hill, Ibberton
• Leigh Lane, Ibberton
• St Georges Road – From A35 flyover to business park

Patching

• A348 Ringwood Road, Ferndown 
• Canford Bottom, Wimborne
• Burton Road, Bridport
• West Moors Road, Three Legged Cross
• Stapehill Road, Wimborne
• Newtown Road, Verwood
• Burnbake, Verwood
• Cranborne Road, Fordingbridge
• Reap Lane, Portland
• St Georges Road, Dorchester – From junction with Allington Road to Wilson Road

Find out where work is planned

Forthcoming and in progress works can be found on the council’s roadworks map 

Signs are erected in advance of works starting, and residents directly affected are notified by letter. This will include the hours of work and parking arrangements during the work. Onsite team members will also be available to answer residents’ queries.

Report a problem

Dorset’s roads are inspected regularly, but sometimes problems arise between inspections. Report a problem on a road or pavement 

To report hazards, obstructions and dangerous situations that could cause damage or injury, call the council’s 24 hour line on 01305 221020.