SOME 66 miles of roads in Carmarthenshire - the distance from Carmarthen to Cardiff - are due to have their annual summer makeover.

The resurfacing works will get underway from the beginning of June.

The rolling programme carried out by the county council aims to prevent potholes and make the roads safer and better to use.

Resurfacing 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 13,000 tonnes of aggregate and 306,000 gallons of bitumen emulsion will be used covering an area of 774,000 square miles.

Head of street scene Phil Williams 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 pot holes developing, and prolongs the life expectancy of the road," he said.

"It is substantially cheaper than other methods and allows traffic to drive over the newly laid surface almost immediately.

"Following treatment, the skid resistance value of the road surface is restored when the surface was previously smooth or slippery."

Motorists are now being asked to take extra care while the work is being carried out to avoid accidents or damage.

People should: Drive carefully within the recommended speed limit Never overtake Avoid sudden braking and sharp turning movements Pedestrians are advised to take care walking near any newly treated surface as the bitumen can stick on shoes. The substance can be removed with solvents such as white spirits or turpentine.

Mr Williams added: "Like most highway maintenance works, it does cause disruption to the free flow of traffic, and drivers need to travel slowly on the newly laid surface to prevent chippings being dislodged.

"This is the reason why advisory speed limits are displayed. Inconsiderate drivers who travel at speeds above the recommended limit can cause damage to other vehicles, pedestrians and property because of the risk of chippings being thrown up."

The county council uses, where possible, materials from sustainable sources, and is undertaking trials using steel slag aggregate produced from waste bi-products following the steel-making process at Llanwern. In previous years, chippings from virgin quarried stone have been used. The new eco-friendly process will be monitored and if successful will be used more extensively in future years.