24 roads getting spruced up in time for Christmas

A total of 24 roads will be seeing some much-needed improvement in the run up to Christmas as part of the Council's ongoing road resurfacing programme. 

Two of the schemes have already seen Billingham became the UK's first area to get new environmentally sustainable roads.

Laid by Tarmac, Marsh House Avenue and Whitehouse Road are now the UK's lowest carbon emission roads after they were resurfaced with recycled material made from old roads and the surfaces were mixed at lower temperatures to save carbon.

Plus, a fossil fuel alternative powered the manufacturing plant used to make the asphalt. The cutting-edge technology used has reduced carbon emissions on the project by up to 80 per cent compared to traditional methods.

The 24 roads to benefit from resurfacing before Christmas are:

•        Marsh House Avenue Roundabout, Billingham
•        Whitehouse Road, Billingham
•        Greenwood Road, Billingham
•        Darlington Road, Hartburn
•        Hume Street, Stockton
•        Queen Street, Stockton
•        Cherry Tree Gardens, Norton
•        Eamont Road, Norton
•        Londonderry Road, Stockton
•        Ragpath Lane, Roseworth
•        Blakeston Lane, Stockton
•        Vale Drive, Thornaby
•        Thorntree Road, Thornaby
•        Bassleton Lane/The Green, Thornaby
•        Tedder Avenue, Thornaby
•        Bishopton Back Lane, Stockton
•        Forest Lane, Kirklevington
•        The Green, Norton
•        Yarm Road, Hilton Village
•        Belasis Avenue, Billingham
•        Low grange Avenue, Billingham
•        Sheraton Street, Stockton
•        Rievaulx Avenue, Billingham
•        TBC

Councillor Clare Gamble, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: "We're so pleased to be the first area in the country to have the lowest carbon emission roads as schemes like this are a big part of our commitment to achieve a Net Zero future.

"We know the upkeep of the Borough's roads is very important to our residents and we are fully committed to improving our roads.

"But we'd like to do more, and although it's a priority for us we simply don't receive enough funding to embark on the kind of widespread improvement programme we'd like to see.

"We prioritise the resurfacing and patching programme according to our roads' condition and try to target the resources we have in a way that will help prevent costly repairs down the line.

 "Of course, we'll continue to look at opportunities to maintain the Borough's roads as efficiently as possible, both now and in the future.

"This will include exploring 'invest to save' opportunities through new technology and increasingly using more sustainable materials like the two new schemes in Billingham."

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