Crews in Telford have cleaned 7,000 road signs across 1,000 roads as part of a programme focused on improving sign visibility ahead of winter. The work supports safer driving during darker mornings and evenings.
Cleaning road signs before winter
Road signs rely on their reflective surfaces to bounce car headlights back to drivers. A layer of dirt or algae reduces this reflectivity at exactly the time when headlights are needed most. Telford & Wrekin Council explains that cleaning signs in autumn ensures drivers can read them despite shorter daylight and poor weather.
Find and Fix It covers hundreds of roads
The council is delivering sign cleaning through its Find and Fix It programme, working with contractor Balfour Beatty. Teams have completed work in Haygate, Park, and Ketley, and are now cleaning signs in Arleston College.
Part of wider highways investment
The sign cleaning is part of a broader £91 million investment in highways and transport infrastructure over four years. The council treats Find and Fix It as a preventative approach, addressing reported and inspected issues before they escalate. Similar logic underpins a preventative carriageway maintenance programme launched in May.
Local input and ongoing work
Residents can report highways issues through the council's online service by providing details and photographs. Councillor Nathan England, Cabinet Member for Safer Streets and Better Housing, emphasises the importance of this work as winter approaches, citing reduced visibility during darker hours and adverse weather.
Details still to be disclosed
The council has not released the total number of signs in the borough, the remaining signs to be cleaned, nor the specific costs of sign cleaning included within the £91 million budget.
