Popularly known as 'tar and chippings', surface dressing it is the annual treatment of many miles of mostly rural roads with a coating of hot bitumen spread over with small stone chippings.

By keeping the rain and frost out of the road foundations, the bitumen significantly extends the life of the road. It also helps to prevent the formation of potholes and cracking. The application of the stone chippings provides a high skid resistance surface. 

Surface dressing is only done in the summer, because the bitumen needs warm weather to solidify and hold the chippings in place.

Surface dressing and broken windscreens

Provided the contractor has fulfilled his obligations to do the work properly and carefully, and has put up warning signs, damage to vehicles will be avoided provided drivers adhere to the temporary reduction in speed limit whilst the work is in progress.

How long the process takes

The good news is that surface dressing is very quick. A mile of road can be surface dressed in a morning. Traffic disruption, except on the busiest roads, is minimal.

Road markings are covered by the new dressing and are replaced as soon as possible after the final sweep. The application of road markings cannot be carried out in wet conditions.