A large-scale programme to maintain and improve the quality of Cambridgeshire's roads is well underway.

Around £5 million is being invested into a programme of surface dressing, which will prevent damage and prolong the life of the county's roads and ensure they continue to be safe for all road users.

Cambridgeshire County Council's (CCC) highways team is carrying out a programme of different surface treatments using a range of techniques, including micro asphalt and grip fibre.

Peterborough Matters: Thirty-nine roads in Cambridgeshire have already been treated.Thirty-nine roads in Cambridgeshire have already been treated. (Image: Cambridgeshire County Council)

The team has already treated 39 locations ahead of schedule, and a further 53 roads are in the process of being done.

Cllr Neil Shailer, vice-chair of the highways and transport committee for CCC, said: "We are carrying out a range of schemes to catch wear and tear before more serious faults arise.

"Especially sealing cracks that would otherwise let water in with such destructive consequences.

"The programme will help roads in Cambridgeshire avoid potholes for around five years.

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This week, Cllr Shailer visited Great Paxton in St Neots, just one of the roads being treated, to see the crews in action.

"It was great to see the crews in action, and I was pleased to hear that some of the surface dressing has finished early this season," he said.

"The benefits of completing early include: we avoid the problems hot weather can cause; it gets work done before the more complex work starts, and so reduces disruption, and finally, we're mindful of our rural roads and the impact on the agricultural industry so we avoid peak harvest times."

The team have also begun the 'footway sealing' programme, which involves filling in minor dips and providing a more even surface. 

READ MORE: Council paid £16,000 in its highest pothole payout of the last two years

A countywide programme of road markings, carriageway, and footway resurfacing is also being delivered, as well as ongoing work addressing the roads on peat soils.

For more information about the locations, treatment schedules and the types of road surface treatment, visit CCC'S website.