This is one for Geoff B or any other highway engineers on the site.
On the road from Weymouth to Bridport there was a new surface laid few months back. They have slippery surface signs put up now and reduced the speed to 40 (which even the slowest granny ignores as its a fairly straight open road.)
Back to question. Would they be using that tarmac that had a load of silica in or has that stuff been banned now?
No, it is almost certainly a "high fines content" asphalt.
What this means is that there are a greater proportion of smaller aggregate pieces than in a standard asphalt mix. This is cheaper than larger aggregate pieces, or than indeed a better, more evenly "graded" aggregate range.
Unfortunately the downside is a much smoother surface (very smooth surfaces are bad) and this results in low frictional properties in the wet.
Basically, your local authority have skimped on the surfacing and are now having to deal with the issue by reducing the speed limit and putting up warning signs.
Cheers Geoff
They took away the lines and cats eyes and said it was some form of test. (Which nearly killed a few people) So after a lot of complaints from locals they had to pay out £50K to have catseyes replaced.
Its a coast road so suffers from sea mist a lot so cats eyes help.
I will avoid it in wet conditions specally at end of summer when the greasy surface has built up
For anyone using the A272 just west of Wisborough Green, there is a fairly long stretch of the same stuff between here and Petworth, which following a few accidents and a death has also had the 40mph suggested limit stuck on it!
![Road surface - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8mobileLQ.jpg)
![Road surface - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8desktopLQ.jpg)
