Ruins Barn Road

MESSAGE FROM KENT COUNTY COUNCIL

This is to let you know that, as part of the on-going maintenance and improvement of the highway network, Kent County Council will be working to improve the road surface of Ruins Barn Road, Tunstall between Broadoak Road and the national speed limit sign.

These road surface improvement works are programmed to start on Monday 7thSeptember 2026 and should take 2 days to complete. Activities will be undertaken during a working window between 7am and 7pm. This type of work can be affected by bad weather, so if it is not possible for us to carry it out at this time, we will arrange a new date and let you know via a letter drop to your home. We will also put up signs along the road, before we start, showing the date we plan to start work. During these essential works it will be necessary to close the road completely so that we can carry out the works safely for both the workforce and road users.

The diversion route will be via - Cromers Road, Highsted Valley, Bottom Pond Road, Broad Oak Road, Ruins Barn Road and vice versa. The timings of works and how the ‘working window’ may affect you Where we have specified the works take place over more than a day, please be aware that it is not always possible to start on the first day advertised. These types of works are part of a continuous rolling works programme and heavily dependent on good weather and site conditions throughout and thus can be affected by delays on previous sites. By allowing for extra days we can ensure that unforeseen circumstances to our works can be accommodated and disruption to local residents is minimised as far as possible. What we plan to do We are going to use a product called ‘Micro-Asphalt’ to improve the road surface. Micro-Asphalt is quick to apply, which means less disruption to road users, residents, local businesses and the emergency services. It is a cost-effective way of prolonging the life expectancy of the road before any major repair works are required. It also benefits from having a low carbon footprint. Micro-asphalt is applied cold, in fluid form directly onto the existing road, in two 8mm thick layers, that seal the surface to prevent water penetration, restore texture and improve skid resistance. The finished surface will look quite coarse, uneven and rough immediately after laying, but will improve over time via normal traffic use, as the material beds in. The laying process may result in the fluid splashing slightly up the kerb face; this is normal and will weather with time. Generally, within 14 days of completing the works the road markings will be reinstated and within eight weeks the ironworks (road drain covers, manhole covers etc.) will be adjusted to suit the new surface. Further Information on this treatment process Further information on Micro Surfacing, including a short video presentation, can be found on our website at www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/what-we-look-after/roads/road-resurfacing/types-of-resurfacing. Alternatively, this video can be found on YouTube by searching for ‘Kent County Council Micro Surfacing’.