AROUND 18.6 miles of roads have already been resurfaced as part of a £3.3 million repair scheme in Caerphilly county.

A further 12.4 miles of highway will be tackled in the coming months as part of an initiative that is being funded by the local authority and Welsh Assembly.

With the freezing temperatures of the last two winters causing damage to the area’s highways network, 117 locations covering 31 miles are being resurfaced this year.

This equates to over 350,000 square metres of carriageway, with Caerphilly council leader Cllr Allan Pritchard confident this will help business and motorists and reduce accidents.

“Our highway network is the council’s biggest asset and is estimated to be valued at approximately £1 billion,”

he said. “This huge investment clearly shows that we are committed to ensuring our roads are maintained to a high standard and further contributes to the success the council has had in reducing road accidents.”

Two main types of resurfacing works are being undertaken.

The first is called surface dressing and involves the application of a layer of binding material followed by a layer of gravel which helps to preserve and seal existing road surfaces to prevent further damage.

In the case where the road is badly deteriorating and needs more extensive repair, a second option is taken.

This is to totally replace the surface.

Caerphilly Cabinet member for transportation and planning, Cllr Rob Gough, said: “The bad weather we experienced over the winter months led to the deterioration of our highway network, so we are using this funding to target blackspots and deliver improvements using a comprehensive package of resurfacing works.”

You can report highways issues within the area by calling Caerphilly Street- Pride on 01443 866566 or by visiting www.caerphilly.- gov.uk/streetpride