Issues surface with works carried out on A34 Wilmslow bypass

Cheshire East Council has admitted there are issues on a number of roads with the work carried out to prevent water from getting in.

Routine inspections revealed a problem with surface dressing works completed last year along the A34 Maclean Way/ Birrell Way in Wilmslow, the A500 Shavington Bypass, the A49 Whitchurch Road, the A54 Buxton Road, and the A533 London Road/ Middlewich Road in Sandbach.

Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council's highways and transport committee, said: "The treatment carried out on these roads, which is used widely by councils across the country, helps to seal the road and prevent water from getting in.

"Over the past few years, almost 609,000 sqm of this treatment has been laid in Cheshire East and we have not experienced issues like this in the borough before. Of this, just under 26,000 sqm has been affected by these issues (around 11 per cent of the 231,000 sqm delivered last year).

"In most cases, including with the A500, only a section of the road is affected and not the full length of where works were carried out.

The Council is working with the contractor responsible for the works to understand the cause and an investigation is being carried out.

Councillor Mark Goldsmith added "There are no safety concerns with the roads, but we of course want to ensure the works are up to the standards we expect from a treatment of this type and are planning to carry out further improvement works when the weather is more suitable. We currently expect this to be during May.

"These works will be carried out at no extra cost to the council.

We apologise for any inconvenience or concern caused and would like to reassure our residents that we are committed to managing the impact of these works and ensuring our roads are safe.

"Since being made aware of the issues, we have been carrying out regular monitoring and inspection of each road, along with regular sweeping to remove any excess chippings from the road."