Pepperell Post, February 2010: Voters Pass Paving Bond.... Now What?

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A Newsletter by the City of Saco, Maine	February, 2010	Return to newsletter index

Voters Pass Paving Bond.... Now What?

In November, Saco voters overwhelmingly approved a 2.3 million dollar bond to spend on roadway improvements over the next two years. Every Saco resident will see and feel the improvements in our roadway system. In this article we'll discuss how roads for paving are chosen and all that goes into a paving project before the day you see the new pavement going down.

The Paving List
The idea is simple: apply the right pavement treatment to the right roads at the right time. The reality is another story when you have limited funding that varies yearly with which to address 375 road segments, some 3,682 utility manholes, and over 120 miles of pipes under the pavement. When you see a road being paved, already it has come through a long process of condition assessments and inspections of the underground utilities, roadside ditches, sidewalks and curbing; coordination with abutting property owners; and finally application of the most cost effective pavement treatment available. Public Works inspects and rates the condition of every road segment annually and uses a software called MicroPaver to produce a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) for each segment. This allows us to rank each road section's condition and monitor its rate of deterioration over time. Roads that were never fully built with a good gravel base will deteriorate more quickly than one that was built with quality gravels and proper drainage. The roadway's PCI and rate of deterioration help us decide what method of paving will be best for each road. Roadways on the paving list will receive one of the following treatments:

Overlay- Apply 1.5" of new pavement in one layer over the existing roadway to provide a smooth wearing course.
Shim/Overlay - Apply 2" of new pavement in two layers over the existing roadway to remove sags in the roadway and restore a smooth surface.
Reclaim/Overlay- Grind the existing pavement into the gravel base, regrade and compact gravel and then put down 3.5" of new pavement in two layers to reshape and strengthen a severely deteriorated roadway.
Rehabilitation- Involves removing the existing pavement and gravel and rebuilding the top two feet of the roadway bed, or applying a cement stabilizer to the existing gravel before adding the full 3.5" of new pavement.

Before the New Pavement
Once the season's tentative road list for paving is set and the budget is known, the final inspections of infrastructure surrounding the pavement is completed. Utility pipes are inspected by camera, every manhole cover is opened to evaluate the condition of the walls and cover, sidewalk and curb are inspected for damage and needed repairs, drainage ditches and culverts are inspected for water flow and pipe integrity. Completing all of these steps may either defer a road from the current list due to major utility work that is needed or confirm a road's place on the final paving list. When roads are paved, it is expected that the roadway and related infrastructure will not need any major work for at least 10 years. We work hard to make sure the new pavement that goes down stays intact. That brings us to the next step, the moratorium letter. This is the City's chance to reach out to property owners and private utility companies to let them know that the roadway abutting their property is going to be paved soon and there are some important steps they must take. Nothing leads to pavement deterioration faster than cutting and patching it for new utility line installation. The City protects its investment in new roadways with a 5-year moratorium on cutting into the pavement unless it is an emergency repair of an existing utility. That means that when you get the moratorium letter in the mail, and you've been thinking of building on the second lot you own next door, speak now- or for 5 years hold your peace. While we recognize that it can be hard to plan out the next 5 years, the value of the taxpayers investment in new pavement is too great not to protect and preserve it for as long as possible. Public Works will work closely with anyone who needs to get a new utility installed prior to paving, to make sure their needs are met ahead of the new pavement going down. So, if you get a notice in the mail and think you may want to do some work in the roadway, contact Public Works immediately and things will go much smoother.

Next, Public Works puts together a schedule of the work that needs to be completed before and during the paving operation that runs from April to October. Every task on the schedule that can be completed by City work crews equals that many more tons of pavement that can be purchased and put down on our roadways. Preliminary work on some roads can be costly and time consuming prior to the actual pavement going down. In some cases the deteriorated roadways need to have the pavement completely ground up and the gravel reshaped and compacted before new pavement can go down. Other roads may have as many as 50 sewer and drain manhole covers that need to be replaced or raised to the new pavement level. Roadside ditches need to be regraded to effectively carry water away from the roadway, and broken up curb and sidewalk need to be replaced where they abut the new pavement.

During the Paving
During the paving process, City crews grind joints in the roadway where the new pavement will meet the old at intersections and driveways, and make final adjustments to manhole cover elevations.

Following the paving operation, line striping and resurfacing driveway aprons and sidewalks to the new road grade need to be completed. If a lot of underground utility work is done prior to paving you may even see base pavement go down during one construction season and the surface pavement placed the following summer to allow for trench settlement over the winter. While this creates a better finished product, it also requires the area around manholes and driveways to be paved twice so that winter plowing may occur without damages.

Hopefully this information will help clear up a few of the, "Why is the City doing that?" questions that you may have as you drive around Saco this summer. Feel free to ask questions. We would be happy to share with you our process for applying the right treatment to the right road at the right time, and maximizing the value of the $2.3 million dollar bond that you approved. Please refer to the City of Saco website during the summer construction season for updates on the paving bond projects.