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While many economic indicators within the construction indicator continue to give cause for gloom, here is one to please: 15% more surface dressing work was carried out in 2025 than in 2024.

Figures from the Road Emulsion Association (REA) show that around 44.4 million square metres of surface dressing – enough to treat 4,340 miles of road – was applied over the April-to-September preventative maintenance season in 2025, compared to 38.5 million in 2024.

This year’s manufacturing, sale and use of bitumen emulsions for surface dressing were also up 25% on 2023’s 35.3 million square metres.

However, 2023 saw the lowest reported volume since records began in 1978.

So while it’s great that bitumen sales are up 25% in two years, they are still 32% below 2012’s 64.4 million square metres.

REA consultant and secretary Kevin Maw said: “We reported a 9% increase in bitumen emulsion volumes in 2024 so to report a bigger increase for the second-year running is encouraging. We believe the surge in potholes over recent years directly correlates with the reduction in surface dressing – a successful preventative maintenance treatment that keeps roads in good condition.

“Investing in preventative highways maintenance is crucial to protecting one of the country’s biggest assets and it’s clear that this message is finally getting through. We hope it continues.”

Simon Williams, head of policy with automotive breakdown company RAC, said: “These new figures are a step in the right direction for drivers who are plagued by potholes on Britain’s roads every time they get behind the wheel.  We welcome more local highway authorities carrying out surface dressing work, as this is proven to extend the life of roads by 10 to 15 years by sealing cracks and stopping water getting in and, ultimately, stopping surfaces breaking down.

“We hope even more surface dressing will be carried out going forwards as the government is on board with the preventative maintenance message that the RAC, REA and the Road Surface Treatments Association have been advocating.

“We’re also very pleased to see the government asking councils to show how much preventative maintenance work they’ve carried out over the last five years and how much they plan to do in this financial year. We remain convinced that prevention, rather than cure, is the answer to smoother, safer roads.”

Government road condition data analysed by the RAC shows that half of local highway authorities in England did not use any form of preventative maintenance on their A roads in the 2023/24 financial year. For B, C and unclassified roads, 36% of authorities failed to carry out any of this work.

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