The Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) will begin a major project to resurface a busy section of the H5 Portway in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, during the summer of 2026. The work will focus on the stretch of road between the A5 (Abbey Hill Interchange) and the V4 Watling Street roundabout to make the journey smoother and safer for daily commuters. This project is part of the council’s wider 2025/26 highway maintenance programme to address surface oxidation, cracking and pothole clusters identified by the council’s AI-driven road‑scanning technology.
Working alongside their contractor Ringway, the council plans to plane the old surface and lay a new wearing course — likely micro‑asphalt or hot‑rolled/high‑friction asphalt designed to withstand heavy traffic. According to local news outlet MKFM (background coverage, 25 July 2022), these upgrades form part of the ongoing ‘Golden Grids’ initiative to keep the city’s grid road network in good condition. By carrying out these repairs in the summer window (typically June–August), officials say they hope to avoid more expensive and disruptive works in the future.
Drivers should expect travel changes while the work takes place, including potential overnight closures and diversions that will particularly affect those entering the city from the A5. The council has said coordination with National Highways will be important to avoid overlapping closures with recent A5 works. Once finished, thousands of residents and freight drivers who use this main feeder route into Central Milton Keynes will benefit from a more reliable route into the city centre.
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