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Kent has one of the largest road networks in the country.
We are responsible for looking after over 5000 miles of roads, 4000
miles of pavements, 2700 bridges and hundreds of thousands of
street lights, signs and road drains.
The Highways Agency looks after motorways and trunk roads (roads
that link motorways to ports, such as the A2 from the M2 to Dover)
for the Government.
How do you decide which roads to repair?
We carry out a series of surveys using machines (mechanical
surveys). This helps us understand the condition of the roads and
pavements. We use this information to decide which roads and
pavements to repair. We draw up a plan so that we work on the roads
that need most repairs.
Other information that helps us to decide which roads to repair
includes:
- reports from our highway inspectors;
- information from members of the council; and
- information from the public.
We examine the results of the surveys and use them to decide
what work to carry out.
The highway inspectors inspect busy roads and pavements more
often than quieter ones. All highway inspectors work from our
divisional offices and have a particular area that they look
after.
How do you decide what to do?
This depends on the problem. For example, if a road is in good
condition apart from being a bit too slippery, we may 'surface
dress' it.
What is surface dressing?
Surface dressing means spraying a road with a coating of hot
bitumen and then covering it with stone chippings. The chippings
are rolled into the bitumen to form a water-resistant, protective
layer, which makes the road less slippery.
We do this work in the summer, when the weather is warm and dry,
as the bitumen will not stick to the road in cold or wet weather.
As soon as the bitumen has set, we sweep the road to remove any
loose chippings.
What about resurfacing roads?
If a road is too bumpy and needs to be improved, we will
resurface it. This means removing an existing surface or applying a
new surface on top of an existing one. The new surface will even
out bumps to give a smooth surface that helps to prevent
skidding.
A process called planing involves removing an existing surface.
A machine grinds off the old surface, which we take away. We do not
waste this material but reuse it in road maintenance.
A paver machine applies a new surface. This machine controls the
thickness of the surface material and makes sure bumps and potholes
are filled in properly.
What if a road is really bad?
Like all things, roads wear out and we may need to completely
dig it up and replace it. This is the most expensive treatment. We
keep the costs down as far as possible by carrying out the above
treatments to help prevent roads from getting so bad that they need
to be replaced.
A road is normally made from two types of material - granular
material (at the bottom) and bound material (at the top).
We use the planings (as we described before) to replace the
granular material. There is also a way of using the planings in the
bound materials. This adds real strength to the road. Once we have
laid the bound materials, we apply a surfacing material to finish
off the job.
How can I help?
When you are driving, you can help by taking notice of road
signs (including speed restrictions) on newly surfaced roads. This
prevents new materials from being damaged before they have
completely set. This will especially help with surface dressing. It
will also help prevent your car from being damaged by loose
chippings.
Working on the highway can be dangerous for workmen, and
sometimes we have to close roads to provide enough room for repairs
to be carried out safely. If this is the case, please follow any
diversion signs.
Who is allowed to dig up the roads?
There are many companies which are allowed to dig up the road.
For example, gas and electricity companies, and phone and cable
companies. They are allowed to put in new services and make repairs
to existing services in the roads, pavements and verges.
We meet with these companies regularly to plan and co-ordinate
all major work. They have to let us know before they start work so
we know where they are working and what they are doing.
Sometimes work is urgent and cannot be delayed. For example,
there might be a gas or water leak. These problems have to be dealt
with urgently. This is the reason why sometimes a newly surfaced
road is dug up.
Between them, these companies dig around 50,000 holes in the
roads in Kent in a year. This is 1000 holes every week!
Sometimes potholes are only repaired temporarily. Why is
this?
Some potholes need to be filled urgently to keep roads in a safe
condition. We always try to repair these potholes permanently, but
sometimes it is not possible. This is because the material we need
to make permanent repairs is not always available when we need it.
Instead, we repair the pothole temporarily to keep the road safe
and wait until the material for permanent repairs becomes
available.
Why do you resurface some roads and leave other roads that need
rebuilding?
We have to keep a balance between repairing roads that are in a
poor condition and looking after roads to stop them getting too
bad.
It is much cheaper to look after roads than it is to rebuild a
road, so it is a better use of money that is available. On the
other hand, we can't just leave roads that need rebuilding. The
more we spend on rebuilding roads, the less there will be for
looking after other roads so we don't have to rebuild them.
How can I find out about roadworks before I make a
journey?
You can find details of all current roadworks on our roadworks
page, or you can listen to your local radio station for
information.
We monitor all work that is carried out on the county's roads.
We have an office in Maidstone and three divisional offices in
east, west and mid Kent.
Report a problem
If you notice a problem on one of our roads, you can e-mail us
using the
online fault reporting form (link opens in a
new window) or you can call us at any time, any day of the week
on 08458 247 800. |