North Northamptonshire highways annual repair programme to start

27 February 2026

As the weather starts to improve, North Northamptonshire Council will start its annual pre-patching work in March in advance of this year’s extensive surface dressing programme.

Following a challenging winter for our roads, this preventative programme of work is an essential part of maintaining a safe, resilient and long-lasting road network across the local area.

Every year, the council treats a selection of roads that are beginning to show early signs of wear.  

The work is delivered in two stages - pre-patching, followed by surface dressing later in the year - which seals the road, prevents water damage and improves the road surface. This treatment helps extend the life of roads, improve safety, slows down the rate at which potholes may form and as such, reduces the need for more expensive repairs in future.

Pre-patching involves repairing defects such as cracks, potholes and worn sections of carriageway ahead of planned surface dressing later in the year.  It creates a stable base to ensure the surface dressing adheres properly and when complete, can extend the road life by up to 10 years.

The following routes are scheduled for pre-patching in March, weather permitting:

• Desborough A6, Rothwell/Desborough Bypass, Monday 2 March – Friday 6 March (5 days)
• Rushton A43, Rockingham Road, Monday 9 March (1 day)
• Stoke Albany A427, Stoke Hill, Tuesday 10 March – Thursday 12 March (3 days)
• Kettering A43, Stamford Road, Friday 13 March and Monday 16 March (2 days)
• Lowick A6116, Lowick Bypass, Tuesday 17 March – Wednesday 25 March (7 days excluding weekend)
• Loddington, Harrington Road, Thursday 26 March – Friday 27 March (2 days)
• Corby A6003, Uppingham Road, Saturday 28 March (1 day),  
• Geddington A4300, Stamford Road, Monday 30 March – Wednesday 1 April (3 days) 

For the full, up-to-date list of pre-patching works scheduled, including those taking place in April, please visit the council’s planned works pages.

We know that repairing the roads across North Northamptonshire is a priority for so many residents and we are listening to your concerns. Going forward, we are determined to make an impact on repairing the network, especially after such a wet and rainy winter.

This work is the start of this process and will be followed by an extensive surface dressing programme later in 2026.

In the meantime, I would encourage residents to keep reporting highways issues through our website so we can continue to repair the roads across North Northamptonshire.Cllr Chris McGiffen, the Council’s Executive Member for Highways and Travel

We are hearing resident’s concerns about the state of roads across North Northamptonshire loud and clear.

With the limited funding that we have, we are committed to tacking the condition of our highways in the most cost-effective way.

The wet weather over the winter has had a devastating effect on the condition of some roads and this work is one of the ways we are doing all we can to improve things in the short to medium term.Cllr Martin Griffiths, Leader of the Council

Works will be carried out under appropriate traffic management, and road users are advised to allow extra time for their journeys where required.

Highways issues can be reported via the council’s road pages.