Surface dressing programme
From May until August, we undertake our surface dressing programme across the borough. Surface dressing adds a new layer on top of an existing road surface and is a well-established, cost-effective preventative maintenance treatment. We visit the road a few times, to prepare the road, carry out the surface dressing and we return to sweep up the excess chippings and reinstate the road markings.
We cannot give you an exact date as these works can’t be undertaken in high temperature or during rain. We display signs nearby to notify you of road closures with dates and times of the work and its duration.
Further improvement works will be carried out to the roads listed below at no extra cost to the council:
Surface dressing table
| Road name | Surface dressing treatment extents | Approximate dates - day closures (subject to change due to weather conditions) | Approximate dates - night closures (subject to change due to weather conditions) |
|---|
| A49 Whitchurch Road, Spurstow |
Long Lane – junction Wrexham Road A534 |
|
|
| A500 Shavington Bypass |
Meremoore Moss Roundabout junction A531 / B5472 – Cheerbrook Roundabout |
|
- 28 May to 29 May
- 2 June to 5 June
|
| A533 Middlewich Road / London Road, Sandbach |
Ashfield Way – Moss Lane |
|
|
| A54 Buxton Road |
Bosley Crossroad lights A523 – A537 Buxton New Road Derbyshire border |
- 27 June to 28 June
- 10 July to 11 July
- 13 July
- 20 July
|
- 29 June to 1 July
- 14 July to 16 July
|
| A54 Buxton Road |
River Dane - Bosley Lights |
- 26 June
- 1 to 2 July
- 9 July
- 16 July to 21 July
|
- 27 June to 28 June
- 3 to 4 July
|
| A34 Wilmslow Bypass MacLean Way and Birrell Way |
Ainslie Way Roundabout – Pendleton Way Roundabout |
|
|
The roads listed below are part of our surface dressing programme 2025-26:
surface dressing table 2025-26 programme
| Road name | Surface dressing treatment extents | Approximate dates - day closures (subject to change due to weather conditions) | Approximate dates - night closures (subject to change due to weather conditions) |
|---|
| A51 Nantwich ByPass |
Between Cheerbrook Roundabout and Peacock Roundabout |
- 3 June
- 10 June
- 23 June to 24 June
|
|
| A530 Middlewich Road |
Between A530 Sainsbury’s Roundabout and Coppenhall Lane Roundabout |
|
- 29 May to 31 May
- 4 July to 6 July
|
| A530 Nantwich Road |
County boundary to St Ann’s Road |
|
|
| A51 Chester Road / Nantwich Road |
From Texaco garage to county boundary |
- 4 June to 6 June
- 10 July to 11 July
- 17 July
|
|
| A500 Newcastle Road |
From M6 junction 16 to Meremoor Moss Roundabout |
- 30 May
- 31 May to 1 June
- 3 June to 4 June
|
- 6 June to 7 June
- 9 June to 14 June
|
| A531 Newcastle Road |
From Meremoor Roundabout to Weston Roundabout |
|
|
| A50 Knutsford Road / Warrington Road |
Knutsford Roundabout to Lymm Services Roundabout |
|
- 23 May to 25 May
- 29 May to 31 May
|
| Over Road, Church Minshull |
Speed limit section to county boundary |
|
|
| A534 Congleton Road |
Holmes Chapel Road to Arclid Crossroads |
|
|
| A530 Whitchurch Road |
Grandfold Lane to borough boundary |
|
|
| A49 Whitchurch Road |
Peckforton Hall Lane to Betty's Lane |
- 2 June
- 9 June
- 11 June to 13 June
- 16 June to 18 June
|
|
| A523 Leek Road |
From A54 Bosley lights south to county boundary |
- 13 July to 15 July
- 19 July
|
|
| A523 Leek Road / London Road |
North of Bosley lights to Lyme Green Settlement entrance |
- 24 June to 26 June
- 29 June to 30 June
- 12 July
- 18 July
|
|
| A34 Pendleton Way |
Thorngrove Roundabout to Whitehall Bridge Roundabout |
|
|
| A54 Buxton Road |
River Dane to Middle Lane |
- 26 June
- 7 July
- 9 July
- 14 July to 17 July
|
|
| A538 Altrincham Road |
Airport Roundabout to Waters Roundabout |
- 4 July
- 7 July
- 14 July to 15 July
|
|
You can find the most up to date information on one.network.
For further information on surface dressing and what it is, visit Road conditions and repairs.
Access and parking
The operation is made extremely difficult if vehicles are parked on the road. Ensure that your vehicles and those belonging to any visitors are moved from the road before the work starts to avoid disruption. If you are going away, arrange with your neighbours for your vehicle to be moved at short notice.
The road will have an initial sweep within 24 hours of the new surface been laid. Vehicles can park on the street again in permitted areas once it has been swept. Sweeping will take place periodically 48 and 72 hours after the initial surface is laid and until the surface is secure. A second application of bitumen will also be applied following the sweeping to seal the surface. We will then line the road.
Local businesses will remain open as usual and access will be facilitated where safe and possible.
Diversion route
Specific signed diversions will be in place and members of the public are advised to follow this. Alternatively, a breakdown of the full diversion route can be found on one.network.
Advice
- Do not drive on the wet bituminous surface, as this will mark your car and driveways. Do not walk or allow pets on the freshly laid material because it will stick to your shoes and be transferred to carpets, internal floors and driveways.
- We will not be held liable for any damage caused in this way, as it is your responsibility to ensure that shoes are clean before entering your property.
- Your help is also required in keeping the road free of vehicles when the sweeper returns after about 7 days to remove any residual loose chippings. Any white lines that have been covered by the surface dressing will be replaced after this sweep.
- Drive carefully and below 20 mph over the new surface to prevent damage to vehicles.
If you would like to talk to us about the scheme, our on-site supervisor is your best point of contact. Alternatively, you can call us on 0300 123 5020.
Surface Dressing Explained
Why timing matters for road quality and safety surface dressing, vital for road longevity and skid resistance, is rarely done at night. This is due to factors affecting work quality, safety, and efficiency. We rarely surface dress roads at night, it's only done in specific situations, like when the temperature is forecast to remain high overnight. That's why we usually do this work during the day.
Surface dressing depends on a chemical reaction between bitumen and aggregate chips, which is highly sensitive to temperature.
- Bitumen must be applied at a specific temperature to ensure it adheres properly. At night, cooler temperatures can cause it to cool too quickly, leading to poor bonding.
- Warmth and sunlight are essential for the binder to cure correctly. Without sufficient heat, the surface may fail prematurely, resulting in issues that would require costly repairs and undermine the purpose of the work.
During the night we set up bright, non-glare lighting and ensure all our signs and barriers are highly reflective, to carry out sweeping work. However, even with this artificial lighting, night-time work presents visibility challenges for the precision work:
- Applying bitumen and spreading chippings evenly is a precise task. Poor visibility can lead to uneven surfaces, overuse of materials, or missed areas.
- Operating heavy machinery and coordinating multiple vehicles in low light increases the risk of accidents. It’s harder to see hazards, other workers, or unexpected movements, making the environment more dangerous.
Night work impacts workforce health and efficiency, and can cause tiredness, reduced focus, and slower reaction times, increasing accident risk. Dark conditions also complicate logistics like traffic management and material handling, slowing operations. During night shifts, we prioritise crew safety and wellbeing through breaks and adequate staffing.
We strictly adhere to local noise regulations. Surface dressing involves noisy machinery, so night-time operations are almost always avoided in residential areas due to unacceptable noise disturbance, especially during noise-restricted hours (typically 11pm to 7am). We communicate in advance with residents about the works' nature, timing, and duration.
We schedule works during periods of naturally lower traffic volume off peak. For key strategic routes, we aim for school holidays for example to minimise congestion. We always coordinate with other utility companies and the council about other ongoing works. This stops us from having multiple road closures in the same spot, cutting down the overall impact to the network. We usually book longer road space due to the potential for the work dates to change to ensure no other works conflict.
Further information
- A letter drop will take place and those who are directly impacted by these works have been informed. This letter can not grant you access through the closure at all times as access points may be restricted for safety reasons
- Emergency vehicle access are being facilitated through the closure
- The road closure is necessary to protect the safety of both members of the public and our workforce whilst we complete the most complex aspects of the scheme
- Diversion routes are in place and signed to assist in the movement of traffic while works progress
- Local businesses remain open and access will be facilitated where possible via diversion routes
- Delays are expected and motorists should plan journeys accordingly
- Ensure that no vehicles are parked along the impacted roads
Page last reviewed: 11 July 2025
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