Woodbridge as part of its ongoing effort to maintain and upgrade City roadways (Click here for street list). Over the years, a combination of heavy traffic, water infiltration and aging asphalt have contributed to roadway deterioration. Maintenance involves applying Slurry Seal to some streets and cold milling, installing pavement fabric and overlaying new asphalt concrete on other streets. The work will be done by a contractor working for the City, and a City Inspector will monitor the contractor’s work. When the project is complete, roadway pavement life will be protected and extended. Work will start in Summer 2009 and be complete in late summer or early fall. The contractor will distribute a Notice of Construction to affected residents 2 weeks before work will begin (See Sample Notice). Approximately 48 hours before work begins, the contractor will post No Parking/No Driving signs showing road closure dates. On the day of construction, the street will be closed to all traffic.
Maintenance activity in residential neighborhoods will generally take place Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Work on arterial streets will generally occur Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. If necessary, weekend work on arterial streets will occur between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Please note that existing parking restrictions will be enforced in the affected areas.
New street surfaces will be ready for use several hours after application, and the City will work closely with the contractor to minimize inconvenience to motorists, residents, and businesses. However, delays due to temporary lane and street closures should be expected.
Individuals wishing more information or special consideration may contact Mr. Reza Jafari, Assistant Engineer, at (949) 724-7545 or at rjafari@ci.irvine.ca.us.
What is Slurry Seal?
Slurry Seal is a surface treatment designed to extend the life of existing streets in two ways. It helps to maintain the integrity of the roadway, smoothing out the roadway surface by filling surface cracks and voids. It also acts as a water repellent cap, shedding water into the gutters to preventing water damage to the subsurface of the street.
Slurry Seal is used for preventive maintenance. It is designed to extend the life of a pavement. It will not, however, improve the ride quality of a street.
What are Cold Milling, Pavement Fabric, and Asphalt Overlay?
Cold Milling (also referred to as cold planing or grinding) is the controlled removal of the surface of the existing pavement to a pre-determined depth with specially designed milling equipment.
Pavement fabric, a strong layer of stress absorbing fabric, is installed once milling is complete to minimize surface water infiltration and prevent existing cracks in the road from surfacing. Pavement fabric extends the life of asphalt overlays significantly.
Hot-mix asphalt, applied over paving fabric, provides an improved ride quality and extends pavement life.
Photo courtesy of Propex/SI
THE PROCESS
Slurry Seal
Application of Slurry Seal is a two-step process. First, surface cracks are filled and surface patching is done. There is no parking on the affected street on the day this takes place. Notices will be posted beforehand. Several days after the crack sealing and surface patching, the Slurry Seal is applied. Streets will be closed to both parking and driving during the application although limited driving will be allowed in case of emergency. Normal driving and parking will be allowed after the Contractor removes the No Parking signs at the end of the working day.
Slurry Seal requires only a few hours to dry before traffic can drive over it but it takes 24 to 48 hours to cure completely. During the first few weeks after the slurry seal application, residents should avoid excessive steering of their vehicle while it is standing still, or starting or stopping quickly as this may cause tire tracks and scuff marks on the surface.
Cold Milling, Pavement Fabric and Asphalt Overlay
The first step in this process is to "edge-mill" the build-up of existing asphalt along the gutters to allow a smooth transition of the new surface. Next, a reinforcing fabric is placed over the street to improve the integrity of the overlay. Finally, an asphalt overlay is placed on top of the fabric. During this phase, parking is prohibited and the street is closed or restricted to vehicular traffic. Once the asphalt is placed and compacted, the street is re-opened to traffic.
When the asphalt overlay is completed, all manholes and valve box covers are raised to grade and the streets are re-striped.
Construction Suggestions and General Project Information
The City looks forward to a successful project and to that end asks your cooperation by:
- Keeping children and pets away from the construction;
- Adhering to the No Parking notice;
- Not running water onto the street the night before or during the application;
- Not driving on the Slurry Seal before it has properly cured to avoid damaging both the integrity of the surface and, in some cases, the vehicle's paint; and
- Avoid steering your vehicle while stopped, and starting or stopping quickly during the first few weeks after the application to avoid marring Slurry Sealed surfaces.
Thank you for doing your part in helping us extend the life of Irvine’s roadways!
Please contact the City for any questions or special requirements you might have at 949-724-7545.
