Annual Pavement Management

• Light application of a diluted asphalt emulsion applied directly on the road surface. 

• Benefits: Rejuvenates dry and brittle asphalt surfaces, seals very small cracks voids at the surface, slows weathering and oxidation.

• Appropriate for good pavements showing only the most minor cracking, weathering or raveling.

• A mixture of dense-graded fine aggregates and asphalt emulsion applied to the road surface.

• Benefits: Waterproofs the paved surface and seals small cracks, improves ride quality, provides skid resistance, provides a “sacrificial” wearing course for the roadway.

• Appropriate for stable pavements showing minor distress such as some cracking, raveling and roughness.

• Generally a “high-end” slurry seal primarily used to prevent raveling and oxidation of the road surface.

• Benefits: Waterproofs the paved surface and seals small cracks, improves ride quality, provides skid resistance, used to level minor rutting of the roadway

• Appropriate for stable pavements showing minor distress such as some cracking, raveling and roughness. Also used for roads showing rutting.

• A two-step process which first includes an application of asphalt emulsion and then a layer of crushed rock (“chips”) to an existing asphalt surface.

• Benefits: Seals narrow cracks, helps bind together cracked pavement, provides a wearing course, protects the underlying pavement structure

• Appropriate for moderate block cracking which is not spalling, no rutting

• An application of a chip seal followed by the application of slurry seals or microsurfacing. 

• Benefits: Seals and bonds the cracks in the existing pavement, improves chip retention and smoothness of the driving surface

• Appropriate for roads with moderate distress, limited or no rutting and moderate crack widths

• Removal of a small thickness (1 inch or less) of existing asphalt prior to placing a surface treatment. Micro-milling provides for a smoother surface compared to cold-milling.

• Benefits: Provides a surface more receptive to bonding to the new surface treatment, smoother ride and neat, clean edges near the gutters or other concrete roadway improvements.

• Appropriate for old pavement, prior to placement of surface treatment such as a slurry seal or microsurfacing.

• A “mill & overlay” is a street maintenance technique that requires the removal of the top layer (1-2") of a street by the grinding action of a large milling machine. After the top layer is removed, a new layer of bituminous pavement is put in its place.

• Benefits: Removes bumps, cracks and irregularities. Provides a new course of uniform pavement, not patchwork.

• Appropriate for roads with a stable, undamaged base course in which the pavement section is alligatored and/or severely weathered.

• Consists of machine grinding the existing asphalt and base to a specified depth, grindings are then blended on-site with an emulsion and rolled back onto the roadway as a new base course. The recycled material is compacted prior to the application of a new course of pavement.

• Benefits: Provides a new roadway surface, “Green Technology.”

• Appropriate for roads with a stable, undamaged base course.

• Consists of removal of the pavement and nearly all of the base sections. Removed asphalt concrete and base material is pulverized and recycled into new base material. The final step is the application of a new pavement course.

• Benefits: Provides a new roadway surface, “Green Technology.”

• Appropriate for roads with a stable, damaged base course.

Providing ongoing maintenance and repair is vital for maintaining the condition of the City’s street network. Proactive maintenance not only ensures the steady provision of services, but is less costly than fixing problems that have degraded beyond repair. 

The street network is assessed through a road pavement management system called Streetsaver. The Streetsaver program provides information on pavement condition and deterioration information, rehabilitation costs and timing based on nationwide research. It also identifies streets for potential repair and maintenance. In addition to the recommendations of the Pavement Management Program (PMP) report, several other factors are also considered including known utility deficiencies, public input, local priorities and the anticipated funding schedule. Based on these factors, street maintenance projects are incorporated into the Capital Improvement Program, which is then approved by City Council.

Residents will be notified before the start of construction or maintenance work in their area. Contractors are required to distribute door hangers to residents who will be impacted by maintenance or construction operations. Street barricades with No Parking Signs are posted at least 72 hours before road closures. 

The length of work depends on the type of maintenance treatment. Crack seals and fog seals can take 4-8 hours to allow material to dry. Chip seals, slurry seals, and microsurfacing can take 1-2 days to complete. Micromilling can take 4-6 hours. Asphalt paving can take 1-2 days depending on project size.

The City prioritizes the use of restricted fund sources such as Measure T and Gas Tax/Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) for street maintenance. Restricted funds are legally required to be used for a specific purpose. Measure T requires 99% of the funds raised to be spent on street maintenance and rehabilitation, and only 1% can be used for administrative and reporting costs. Gas Tax/RMRA funds must be used to perform research, planning, construction, improvement, maintenance and operation of public streets and highways. 

The City considers scheduling maintenance work on days that will not impact trash collection or other services. However, if the schedule inevitably requires road closures that will impact trash collection or other city services, the City coordinates with the service-providers in order to reschedule or detour routes to avoid disrupting service.