Our brand spankin' new roads... err, gravel roads that is

[srkruzich]

No kidding.

So, do you know if the county payed for repairs? That seems even worse, having everyone in the county foot the build for a Howard city road. I suppose IF the county lowers taxes due to receiving the PILOT money that would help offset having to pay for the repairs but with the way this area is run I kind of doubt that would ever happen. I'm sure they'll find some way to squander the money to the point the citizens never get any benefit out of it. Yeah... I know... I don't have a whole lot of trust for any sector of government.

Squander?  Not likely it'll go into someones pocket is what will happen to it. Quid Pro Quo

[mtcookson]

LOL Yeah... you're probably right.

[Wilma]

What streets are you talking about?  I was on Washington this afternoon and I didn't find any gravel.

[mtcookson]

The gravel is going on the "side" roads. Pennsylvania just got graveled, at least the northern section. Michigan has been completely graveled. Chestnut north of Washington has as well, if I remember correctly, and I'm sure south of Washington is coming soon. There are some others that have been graveled as well. They've been putting down tar then gravel right on top from what I've seen.

Maybe I should ask them to gravel Washington so I can have some drifting fun with my new Subaru with all wheel drive (though I doubt anyone will enjoy losing their windows in their vehicles and homes )

[momof 2boys]

It is called "chip and seal".  They put a thin layer of tar on the road and cover with a layer of rock chips.  They have been doing it on my side of the town for many years.

[mtcookson]

I don't even understand why they're doing it. Just drove home and Pennsylvania was just as bumpy as it was before. Even worse, they "chip and sealed" the man hole cover near the intersection of Penn and Michigan...

[momof 2boys]

Over time it becomes smoother and cuts down on the dust compared to coventional unpaved roads.  That is why they started doing it in our neighborhood about 25 years ago.  As far as covering the man hole covers, I am sure they can located them and uncover them quite easily when needed.

[mtcookson]

There's no doubt they can find this one... its the highest point in the road. You'll get a pretty good jolt if you accidentally drive over it.

The problem is our roads were already paved. They were not in good shape by any means but certainly better than just throwing some gravel on it. Now if we had dirt roads I could completely understand but this just makes no sense.

Here's basically what has gone on since I've been here:

1. The roads weren't in good shape when I got here and riddled with pot holes
2. They would periodically patch the pot holes with some asphalt and manually pack it down
3. Just recently they brought someone in with some very nice equipment to fill the pot holes on many of the roads in town. The holes were filled, leveled, and finished very well. They were nice and smooth. They only fixed some of the more major ones but it will still quite nice compared to what had been done in the past. The roads still needed some major work to be good but it was definitely a start in the right direction.
4. Now just recently (and not very long after the nice repairs) they have pretty much negated all of that work and just put tar and gravel right on top of the current paved roads (and man hole covers apparently).

Unless this is just some precursor to some fresh paved roads, it simply makes no sense. All I'm seeing is a tremendous waste of money. (surprise! - insert sarcasm)

[Diane Amberg]

Here we call that "tar and chip." I didn't know that was what you all were talking about. I had a mental image of just plain gravel being dumped all down Washington.

[momof 2boys]

My father has been in road construction for over 50 years and I am quite familiar with the technique.  I found this from the Ohio Dept. Of Transportation.  It explains why chip and seal is used.

     

Page Content
Chip Seal Fact Sheet

"Chip Sealing" is a common pavement maintenance practice that extends pavement life and provides a good driving surface.  Since some ODOT customers may not be familiar with the chip seal construction method, this fact sheet answers some frequently asked questions.


How are Chip Seals Different from Asphalt Overlays?

The difference is in the construction method.  Hot Mix Asphalt pavement is produced by heating liquid asphalt and mixing it with aggregate, with the mix then spread and compacted to form a durable road structure and riding surface.  Chip Sealing 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.


Why Use Chip Seals?

Chip seals provide ODOT with the opportunity to maintain the roads for very low cost.
A chip seal is about one fourth to one fifth the cost of a conventional asphalt overlay.
By extending the time between asphalt overlays, chip seals result in lower costs over the long term.
By placing a chip seal sooner than an asphalt overlay would be placed, the traveling public benefits from roads maintained in better condition.
Chip Seals eliminate the need to crack seal.
Chip seals enhance safety by providing good skid resistance.
Chip seals provide an effective moisture barrier for the underlying pavement against water intrusion by sealing cracks in the pavement.
Chip seals prevent deterioration of the asphalt surface from the effects of aging and oxidation due to water and sun.
ODOT has successfully used chip seals for over 25 years to maintain state routes.
Chip seals are used only on low traffic routes, less than 2500 vehicles per day.
Chip seals virtually eliminate black ice.
In hot weather, chip seals re-seal cracks by flowing back together.