Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Essential maintenance works are underway on roads across Carmarthenshire. The equivalent length of about 54 miles of a standard single carriageway will be treated – the distance from Carmarthen to Bridgend! The resurfacing works are carried out annually by the county council to help prevent potholes and make the roads safer and better to use. It involves applying a coating of hot bitumen onto the road surface followed by layers of hard stone chippings. A mechanical sweeper then removes the excess chippings after a day or so. Some 8,000 tonnes of aggregate and 233,000 gallons of bitumen emulsion will be used covering an area of 663,000 square metres. Executive Board Member for Street Scene Cllr Colin Evans said although it caused some inconvenience for drivers, it was an essential maintenance operation. “This work prevents water seeping into the road foundation and weakening it, thus reducing the chances of potholes developing, and prolongs the life expectancy of the road,” he said. “It...

More than 6,000km of grass verges throughout Carmarthenshire are getting their annual cut. Carmarthenshire County Council has a statutory duty to maintain the highway in a safe condition for motorists and pedestrians. The council generally carries out one cut a year; however, a second cut may be carried out in some areas in early September, depending on weather and growing conditions throughout the season. Executive Board Member for Street Scene Cllr Colin Evans said: “The maintenance of road verges is an important service provided by the council. In the interests of safety, vegetation on verges is kept trimmed to avoid obscuring of signs and visibility splays. “It is unavoidable, however, that on some stretches of minor roads, the growth of verge vegetation will occasionally reduce visibility, and so we would advise motorists to drive carefully.” The importance of the road verge network for nature conservation must also be considered and is reflected in the council’s verge maintenance...