I know they use old tyres to quieten road surfaces, but the most difference I've noticed was the Oxford ring road, when they replaced the old concrete surface.

A passenger thought there was something wrong with the car on the old concrete!

Talking about noise have you come across the yellow rumble strips across the carriage way on fast flowing roads designed to wake you up before a roundabout. Down where I live they have relined them on top of the old ones so they are twice as thick as they were before. Not only does the noise wake you up but the car shakes you to death.

You're fortunate. The A road I most frequently drive on was recently resurfaced with a noisier surface than it had before. I reckon it must have been a cut price job as the surface is now terrible to drive on. It's full of ripples and is the opposite of smooth and level. A complete waste of public funds.

Sounds very much like the same experience I mentioned earlier. I thought it was originally just a contractor error (bad workmanship), but it happened separately (a year apart) on two separate stretches (neither being the run-up to a junction - the 'rumble strip' [normally coloured differently), and your situation (unless we're talking about the same road [unlikely]) now being the third I've heard of.

The county council in my area (Herts) were less than forthcoming as to their reasoning and fobbed me off.