Deep in-situ recycling is a near end-of-life treatment used on roads that have extensive visible defects, with uneven surfaces, sunken areas, potholes and cracking, and are at risk of structural failure.

The treatment is a medium cost and low emission process (due to the recycling of material) which reconstructs the entire road by reinstating the base and surface course of the carriageway.

In-situ recycling is the process of simultaneously pulverising the existing carriageway and mixing it with new cement and bitumen emulsion to create a new, strong subbase, which then has a new surface course laid.

Carrying out the work

In-situ recycling has many benefits including reusing material already in place and creating minimal waste, but it does require consistent dry weather to undertake the works.

Due to the nature of the recycling process and the size of the machinery involved, roads are closed during the treatment and will often remain closed overnight while the subbase material cures.

On the day, the road surface and subbase are pulverised, trimmed and graded before being spread evenly to cover the carriageway. This is mixed with a cement binder to hold the material together and then compacted. The surface treatment will be applied when the foundations are set, to seal and protect the new structure of the carriageway.

After construction, the site is cleaned, cleared and the road reopened.

How you can help

To minimise disruption, there are a few things you can do to help us

Before work starts

  • look out for yellow advance warning signs with specific details of the road closure (information about the work will be sent directly to any properties with frontages in the works area)

On the day and during the work please

  • move your car off the road before the road is closed
  • keep to signed diversion routes/paths
  • keep children and pets well away from the work – for safety and cleanliness

After the work

  • the site will be cleared and cleaned
  • the road will be reopened as soon as it is safe to do so

All scheduled highway works can be found on the roadworks map.