Funded by UK Government

Dorset’s roads are an essential part of the economic and social wellbeing of our communities.

We carry out proactive work to ensure our highways stay in the best condition possible, reducing the need for reactive repairs and to maintain highway safety.

This work covers:

  • roads
  • footways
  • cycleways
  • drainage
  • signs
  • road markings

Funding

Money for highway maintenance is provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) and from the council’s own budget.  

Dorset Council Highways maintenance

Dorset Council Highway’s annual capital funding supports maintenance strategies and activities that are linked to Dorset Council priorities documented in the Council Plan.

The maintenance of our roads, footways and highways infrastructure such as bridges and traffic signals is predominantly funded by:

  • UK Government grants in the form of Maintenance Block and Incentive funding
  • Pothole Funds
  • Network North funding

These support highway maintenance investment strategies to manage road condition and keep highway users safe.

Since 2021, his funding has been topped up by Dorset Council funding, further supporting highways improvements.

The table below illustrates the trend in highway maintenance capital funding in Dorset.


 

Government funding

Network North Funding

The UK Government announced additional funding for Dorset Council Highways, diverted from the HS2 project. This is £2.068million for both 2023/24 and 2024/25.

This funding is being invested into managing Dorset’s road conditions and reducing, preventing and repairing potholes and other road defects.

It will be invested into resurfacing approximately 11 miles of carriageway and permanently patching approximately 28,000m2 of failing roads.

The resurfacing sites have been identified using recorded defect information that focusses on clusters on individual roads or sections of roads. This is combined with innovative artificial intelligence technology, using images collected during driven safety inspections. It is then converted into a road condition assessment and specific road defects, which informs our programme of patching.

We will also be ensuring our patch repairs are permanent and addresses the wider failing area, to reduce the future risk of potholes.

Dorset Council funding

£6.03million from the council’s own budget will be used for increased preventative maintenance to preserve the condition of its roads, repairing roads before cracking or potholes appear.

Better for the environment

The council has introduced a number of innovative methods to repair its roads, and is trialling new processes too.

Whenever possible, a road’s existing materials are re-used by mixing with a binding product to form a road construction layer. This removes the need to produce new material and in some cases when mixed in-situ, the need to transport heavy aggregates to the site.

We have engaged with specialist contractors to trial thermal patching, which will reduce CO2 emissions by heating up existing asphalt (tarmac like surface), adding new materials, called binder or aggregates, and recompacting at the road to form a permanent seamless repair.

Public utilities working on the highway

How are we protecting our networks from statutory undertaker works

Utility companies working on the highway are known as statutory undertakers. These are typically companies responsible for electric, gas, telecommunications, and water supplies. They are legally allowed under this status to undertake certain works in or under the highway network, under the street works sections of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.

Dorset Council operates a permitting scheme to control all highway works.

We also conduct quarterly coordination meetings with statutory undertakers and coordinate their proposed works against highway maintenance activities.

Dorset Council also applies for Section 58 notices on all conventional resurfacing works, which protects new surfaces from being dug up.

Works Programme for 2024

All maintenance is weather dependant, and heavy rain or unforeseen circumstances on the site could stop work. It will be rescheduled to the next available date. This information will shared via information boards on-site.

Signs are erected in advance of works starting, and residents directly affected are notified by letter. This will include the hours of work and parking arrangements during the work. Onsite team members will also be available to answer residents’ queries.

Find all planned roadworks on the Dorset Council map, including description of work, roads affected, dates and times.

Work in progress and forthcoming schemes

Completed or in progress schemes for 2023/24 financial year

Funded by DfT Network North (HS2) grant

Resurfacing – March to April 2024

Factory Lane, Buckland Newton
Glen Avenue, Weymouth
Dundee Road, Weymouth
High Street, Fordington
Holloway Road, Dorchester
North Allington, Bridport
Church Row, Hilton
Angel Lane ,Shaftesbury
Lambsgreen Lane, Corfe Mullen
Brog Street, Corfe Mullen
Leigh Road, Wimborne
New Road, Parley Cross
B3078 Fordingbridge Road, Alderholt
Woolsbridge Road, St Ives
Newtown Lane, Verwood
Bay Road, Gillingham
New Road, Sherborne
A37, Stratton to Grimstone
Rye Hill / Southbrook, Bere Regis 
Mill Lane and Bridge Inn Lane, Preston 
Main Road Lydlinch / Bagber 
Swanage Road, Studland 
High Street, Spetisbury 
Wareham Road, Corfe Mullen 
Hurn Road, St Ives 
Station Road, West Moors 
High West Street, Dorchester 
Batts Lane, Pilsdon 
Sherborne Road/The Cross, Leigh 
Dorchester Road, Frampton 
B3092 - Marnhull Road to Bath Road 

Patching (thermal trial) – March to April 2024

Dorchester Road, Weymouth  
Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth  
Kings Road, Weymouth  
Damers Road, Dorchester  
Fortuneswell, Portland  
High Street, Portland  

Patching (conventional) - March to April 2024

High Street, Yetminster
New Street Lane junction to junction Wells Plot 
Benville Lane, Dorchester
A354 Monkton Hill - Winterborne Herringston junction To Ridgeway
B3390 Warmwell Road, North Warmwell
Opposite Bull Inn, Coast Road
Poundbury Crescent, Dorchester
C126 Herringston Road, Dorchester
Damers (Service) Road, Dorchester
A356 Winyards Gap, Nr Chedington
C80 Hollow Hill, Near Studio School (Kingston Maurward)
Cockpit Hill Broadwindsor to Birdsmoorgate
C53 Mallards Green, Martinstown 
A353 Littlemoor Road, Weymouth
C53 Martinstown
B3390 Nr Waddock Cross
Main Road, Alton Pancras
Drimpton Road, Broadwindsor
C28 Tollerford Lane

Planned schemes for 2024/25 financial year

Funded by DfT Network North (HS2) grant

Resurfacing

Sutton Road, Sutton Poyntz (Section by Springhead Pub) 
Kirtleton Avenue - Carlton Road South to Avenue Road Weymouth 
Rip Croft, Portland 
Noah Henville Corner, Winterborne Kingston  
Wares Close, Winterborne Kingston 
High Street, Child Okeford 
Smugglers Lane, Colehill 
Church Street, Upwey Weymouth  
Southover Farm access road Tolpuddle 
Knoll Lane, Corfe Mullen 
Penny Street, Sturminster Newton
Well Lane, Shaftesbury  
Allotment Hill, Ibberton  
Leigh Lane, Ibberton 
St Georges Road – From A35 flyover to business park  
Wincombe Lane, Shaftesbury 
New Borough Road, Wimborne
Gordon Road, Swanage
Millers Close, Dorchester

Patching

A348 Ringwood Road, Ferndown   
Canford Bottom, Wimborne 
Burton Road, Bridport 
West Moors Road, Three Legged Cross 
Stapehill Road, Wimborne  
Newtown Road, Verwood  
Burnbake, Verwood 
Cranborne Road, Fordingbridge 
Reap Lane, Portland 
St Georges Road, Dorchester – From junction with Allington Road to Wilson Road 
Camesworth Lane, Oxbridge
Hermitage to Holnest Park Farmhouse
Meerhay Lane, Wootton Fitzpaine
Waterloo Road, Corfe Mullen
Shillingstone Lane, Okeford Fitzpaine

 

Further works will take place this year as part of the council’s regular programme of works.

This will include road preservation, surface dressing and micro surfacing. Details of these works will be publicised in advance of the works starting. Householders and businesses directly affected will be notified in advance of the works.

 

Funded by UK government