Reduction in speed: The amount of dust that becomes airborne from a road is related to the speed of the vehicle. By reducing the speed, the amount of dust will also be reduced. You can reduce speed by putting up more road signs, and building speed bumps. However, it will depend on the willingness of the local community and the enforcement agencies to ensure that the speeds are reduced in highly dusty areas.
Increase the quality of the road: A road needs to have a good design so that there is no standing water. That's because standing water will float dirt and dust particles from beneath the road. Then once the road dries the dust particles will remain on the surface of the road, and when cars drive over the dry road the dust will become airborne. To avoid standing water the road must be well maintained, or you can use permeable asphalt. This type of asphalt allows any standing water to pass through the road surface into a drainage bed underneath.
Watering the road: If there is no need in removing the dust particles because the local geography is high in dust, then you can water the road. This will prevent the dust particles from going airborne, but the water treatment will typically only be effective for a few hours or a day. This type of treatment can be implemented during rush hour on the days that it does not rain.
Gravel to cover unpaved road surfaces: If there are unpaved road surfaces, then you can use gravel to cover them up, and this should either reduce, or completely prevent the dust from becoming airborne. The gravel will also provide a hard barrier between the wheels of a car and the soil – thereby protecting it. On some gravel roads the loose dust will still become airborne, because the gravel does not minimize the air currents that are cause by moving vehicles. It's important to use soil adhesives with the gravel to ensure that the gravel remains on the surface of the road over the long-term.
Contact local dust suppression or dirt road maintenance companies, like GMCO Corporation, to find the strategy that works for you.