A road surfacing programme in Oxfordshire has reached completion after the use of an innovative technique.

Executed by Oxfordshire County Council alongside contractor Milestone Infrastructure and supply chain partners, the cold recycling project took place in September and October.

The process reuses the top layer of old road surfaces before new ones are put in place.

More than 4,000 tonnes of recycled material was deployed in the programme, effectively saving an estimated 75 tonnes of carbon.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport management, said: "This is just the latest in a series of schemes we are carrying out with our contractor to improve the quality of Oxfordshire’s roads.

"By embracing innovation, we are making our residents’ money go further, helping ease the burden on highways budget and cutting carbon emissions in our own projects."

Across the county, five schemes were successfully completed using cold recycling.

The recycled material, Foambase or cold recycled bound material, uses 94 per cent recycled aggregates bound with foamed bitumen and other binders.

It's a more sustainable alternative, utilising just 5 per cent of the energy compared to traditional asphalt production, therefore halving the carbon footprint.

Richard Lovewell, business director for Milestone on the Oxfordshire Contract, said: "Carbon reduction is a key strategic target for both Milestone and Oxfordshire County Council.

"Our innovative solution of recycling waste materials not only reduces carbon emissions but also creates cost savings, especially through not having to pay high specialist disposal costs."