Pothole prevention progresses! Patches to preserve pavement from pesky problems.
This might be your first sign that outdoor temperatures are starting to cool: The City of Maricopa is starting up its annual pavement preservation program next week.
Crews with maintain and seal more than 600 lane miles of roadway over the next eight months. The work moves by section, so you may spot posted notices at subdivision entrances. Residents will have flyers delivered to homes before projects begin. Temporary "No Parking" signs and lane restrictions will also be in place in some areas.
City officials say the preservation work is scheduled during the fall and spring months, when temperatures are ideal for long-lasting results. Treatments include crack sealing, fog seal and slurry seal, different methods used to smooth out roads depending on their condition.
Crack and fog sealing are light fixes that targets individual cracks to keep water and debris out, helping preserve roads that are still in good shape. Crews spray a thin coating over the entire surface to "restore oils, seal small imperfections and protect newer or lightly worn pavement." Slurry seal is used for heavier duty fixes. That requires a thicker mix of asphalt spread across the roadway, filling potholes and addressing more noticeable wear.
According to a news release yesterday about the repairs, the program's schedule is guided by a national rating system called the Pavement Condition Index. Roads in "good" condition are treated regularly to prevent further deterioration, while those in "fair" or "poor" condition may require heavier overlays or full replacement.
The first round of repairs officially starts Sept. 8, with crack seal scheduled in Tortosa South, The Lakes and The Trails. Crews will then move to the Maricopa Meadows, Alterra, Desert Cedars, Santa Rosa Crossing and Rancho El Dorado between December and January.
Fog seal, slurry seal and re-striping will take place this fall in Cobblestone Farms, Acacia Crossing, Sorrento and portions of Rancho El Dorado Parkway, among other areas.