THIS summer's heatwave has left Oxfordshire County Council's highways managers with a £4m repair bill to damaged road surfaces.

High temperatures at the end of July started to melt the roads and left a number permanently damaged. Transport managers are still assessing the damage, but the council is already looking at a multi-million pound repair bill, and is appealing to the Government for funding so that the bill is not passed on to council taxpayers.

The worst-affected routes in the latest heatwave include the A329 between Thame and M40, the A4130 at Gangsdown Hill, the A4095 at Kirtlington and the B4022 at Charlbury.

Brian Fell, the county council's assistant head of transport, said: "The exceptionally hot weather at the end of July affected road surfaces across the country with the South East of England, including Oxfordshire, being badly affected. Some road surfaces softened due to the high temperatures and this led to a build-up of bitumen on the surface and a loss of texture.

"Inspections are being carried out at over 40 sites to assess the scale of the problem and initial estimates are that it could cost up to £4m to fully repair the damage.

"We are asking the Government for funding as these are exceptional circumstances. Assessment work is ongoing, and wherever we consider there is a problem we are erecting "slippery road" signs as a warning to motorists until such time as we can restore surface texture."

Last summer, the council launched a £3.6m scheme to resurface 26 of the worst heat-affected roads in the county.

Traffic was affected in Longcot, near Faringdon, and on sections of the A338 and A4095 while the subsidence was treated.

The council secured Government funding totalling £3.6m last April. It included more than £1m spent on major reconstruction of heat-affected A329 Rycote Lane last summer.

The most expensive resurfacing projects took place on the A4095 between Faringdon and Tudor Hill costing £215,000, and on the B4030 from Rousham Bridge to Hopcrofts Holt costing £250,000.

In 2003, the driest autumn since 1873 led to similar problems, with the A329 Thame-to-Stadhampton road suffering cracks and a 30mph limit was introduced in places.