RESURFACING work to improve roads across Wyre Forest is set to get underway in the next few weeks.

Worcestershire County Council’s £4million roads improvement project will see surface dressing carried out in Bewdley, Stourport and Kidderminster.

Some of the roads earmarked for work include the B4195 Stourport Road in Bewdley, Porchbrook Road in Kidderminster and the B402 Clows Top Road.

Council bosses have apologised to motorists in advance of the work but said it was vital to enhance and maintain the highways across the district.

The Wyre Forest work is part of a county-wide project which has so far seen resurfacing take place in

Wychavon, Evesham, Pershore, Upton, and Malvern. Work is also due to be carried out in Tenbury Wells.

Surface dressing is a treatment that involves the spraying on of a coating of bitumen to waterproof roads followed by one or more layers of stone chippings to restore skid resistance.

The road can then be driven over with care. Any loose chippings on the surface are swept within 24 hours and again after about a week. The road markings are then replaced.

Councillor John Smith OBE, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: "The project is continuing to roll along well although naturally with a programme if this size there schedule is subject to change due to inclement weather and other factors outside of our control.

"We appreciate it can cause inconvenience for motorists, for which we apologise, but we do everything we can to inform people in advance.

"Surface dressing is a great cost effective way of maintaining our county's roads. It's also efficient and can be done quickly cutting down on road or lane closures that cause problems for drivers.

"We know from speaking to residents and businesses that improving the condition of our highways is a priority. We've invested more than £50million to projects like this over the last few years. The situation has improved but we're still committed and will continue our efforts."

People can find out more about the road programme by visiting www.worcestershire.gov.uk/surfacedressing