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       Despite the weather conditions, the first stage of Oxfordshire’s main roads maintenance programme has been completed as planned.
       Road users are being asked to stay informed about the next stage of work, which will see road crews repainting road lines and markings and installing reflective road signs over the coming weeks.
       The first phase of Oxfordshire County Council’s £7.4m roads improvement project, delivered by highways contractor M Group, began in April this year and was completed on 15 June. The project covered around 70 towns and villages, covering a total of 938,336 square metres of road.
       Oxfordshire County Councillor Andrew Gant, responsible for traffic management, said: “We have been very lucky with the weather this spring and early summer. Road paving work is very weather dependent and we have only had to adjust the schedule a few times due to rain.”
       We thank road users for their cooperation during this period and ask for their patience during the repainting process. Hopefully, they will notice an improvement in the quality of many roads.
       Road marking work began earlier this month and is expected to be completed by mid-July. Construction could begin about four weeks after the pavement preparation is complete.
       The second stage of road repair works will be carried out from August 30 to September 8. In order not to affect two key objects during the main stage, during the second stage a total area of road surface of more than one million square meters will be repaired.
       Updated information about the project, including a map showing where and when the work will take place, will be published on the Oxfordshire County Council website.
       Richard Lovewell, Commercial Director at M Group, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Oxfordshire County Council with another large-scale surface treatment programme.
       A project of this scale and complexity required a collaborative effort from all partners, from the City Council to our subcontractors Hazell, Jefferies and Wilson & Scott. We thank all involved, and especially the teams who worked hard in the scorching summer heat to ensure the project was completed on time and with minimal disruption to residents.
       Protective coating is a cost-effective road maintenance measure that extends the life of roads by an average of 8-10 years. It seals the road surface and prevents water accumulation, which is one of the main causes of road deterioration and potholes.
       The method involves applying a bitumen emulsion to the road as a binder, followed by immediate covering of the emulsion layer with crushed stone.