Overview
The annual maintenance program includes sweeping, surfacing repairs, pothole repairs and line painting to ensure the safest traveling conditions are provided to City transportation system users.
- 35+ miles of streets repaired (chip/ crack seal) annually
- 500+ miles of street lines painted annually
- 450+ crosswalks painted annually
- 300+ intersections painted annually
Sweeping Program
The Area Sweeping Program allows limited personnel and equipment to efficiently and effectively sweep the City’s extensive street and trail systems. The sweeping program operates as weather and other conditions allow. Typically this operation is completed 2-3 times annually, with over 8,000 cubic yards of material removed from transportation surfaces. Sweeping Map
Preventative Maintenance
The City utilizes three preventative maintenance procedures each year. This consists of a crack seal, a chip seal and an overlay. Each of these processes help to mitigate the deterioration of our City streets.
As asphalt pavement progresses through its performance life cycle, its appearance diminishes over time. Fine hairline cracks spread and deepen within the asphalt. Without ongoing maintenance, water may enter through cracks and holes may form, undermining the substrate. In this case, the most effective form of repair is to remove and replace the deteriorated area.
As soon as freshly laid hot asphalt pavement mix begins to cool, the aging process begins. When oxygen in the air and water combine with asphaltic binder of the pavement, a chemical change takes place. At first, this process is necessary for the pavement to become hard and firm. Later, if this process is not arrested, a complete deterioration of the asphaltic binder will take place and reduce the pavement to a layer of loose stone. Exposure to gasoline, oil, inclement weather, salt, and sunlight contribute to the deterioration of asphalt.
The overlay process replaces existing deteriorated asphalt surfaces with new asphalt. Generally, the top two inches are milled off as a first step. Once this layer has been removed any exposed problem areas are removed and replaced in a dig-out process. The surface is then prepared and a new two inches of asphalt is put in place. Hot Mix Asphalt pavement is produced by heating liquid asphalt and mixing it with aggregate, this mix is then spread and compacted to form a durable road structure and riding surface.
The chip seal process uses the same ingredients as asphalt concrete paving, but the construction method is different. With chip seals, a thin film of heated asphalt liquid is sprayed on the road surface, followed by the placement of small aggregates ("chips"). The chips are then compacted to orient the chips for maximum adherence to the asphalt, and excess stone is swept from the surface. The ingredients of hot mix asphalt and chip seals are the same; only the construction methods are different. The chip seal process is a cost effective solution that can help extend the life of an asphalt surface between overlays while continuing to provide a safe and well maintained surface for the traveling public.
The crack seal process uses specialized materials that bond to the walls of the crack, while being able to move with the pavement as it expands and contracts, preventing intrusion of water and debris into the crack and preventing continued deterioration at the crack site. Like the chip seal process this tactic is a cost effective way to extend the life of an asphalt surface, reducing the number of overlays needed over time while maintaining a safest conditions possible for the traveling public.