RESIDENTS in Claines are being thanked in advance for their patience, as sections of the A449 are affected by lane closures in order to conduct a programme of surface dressing.

The surface dressing work which is being undertaken by Worcestershire Highways started on Monday, July 6, on a northbound stretch of the road between the Blackpole turning and Claines roundabout, and is set to continue for two weeks.

Surface dressing work will be conducted overnight with one lane coned off at a time, and convoy system employed to slow traffic down for the safety of the work force, but each stretch of road will also remain closed for three or four days after the work is complete to enable gulley cleaning, line painting and other works to take place.

Councillor John Smith, county council cabinet member for highways, said: "The surface dressing will affect stretches of the A449 between junction six of the M5 and the Black Bridge turning at Hartlebury and follows on from the patching and resurfacing carried out in February in preparation.

"The work involves 'double dressing' of the surface and this method of maintenance can extend a road's life by up to ten years, avoiding the need for more extensive and expensive repairs.

"The surface dressing itself is being carried out at night and in sections to minimise disruption to traffic and we would ask drivers to respect the temporary 20mph limit after the work has been carried out.

"While we recognise that roadworks can be frustrating, we would like to thank motorists in advance for their patience. There is never an ideal time to carry out work like this on such a key route but it is essential that we get it completed to improve things for everyone using the road in the long run."