City of San Luis Obispo PMP Project – Roadway Sealing 2014

The City of SLO’s 2014 Sealing Project efficiently resealed 20% of City streets in under 2 months. It’s the culmination of many preparatory efforts, minimizing future street cuts to maximize pavement life. The project accelerated City Council’s goal to maintain 70% of local streets in good condition & less than 7% in bad condition & is a product of the Pavement Maintenance Plan (PMP) adopted by Council in 1998. The PMPs key element establishes a rotating, methodical approach ensuring all areas of the City receive regular maintenance over an 8 year period. Annual projects concentrate on 1 of 8 predefined City areas. Reduced street-maintenance funds restricted the PMP to completion of extensive reconstruction on a heavily traveled arterial in 2013 with no funds left for neighborhood sealing. Thus in 2014 available roadwork funding was directed into neighborhoods, incorporating the area passed in 2013 & area scheduled for 2014. This approach allowed more comprehensive, cost-effective bids resulting in $400,000 savings particularly in contractor mobilization costs. Prior to sealing, utility facilities were replaced & ADA curb ramps installed. City Street crews performed road prep work including isolated pavement repairs utilizing cement treated in-place recycling techniques & crack-sealing on streets in project scope. In-place recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating transport & use of new materials. Patch repairs & crack-sealing increase long-term effectiveness of the seal. Regularly sealing streets reduces need for large quantities of new asphalt, cuts prolonged public-access inconvenience & keeps street maintenance costs minimal. Ped, bike & driver safety is a major objective in the City’s transportation facilities development. Safety concerns addressed in the project included traffic-calming device maintenance, bicycle facility upgrades, reconstruction of 5 speed-tables & additional sign & bike sharrow installations. Project design also incorporated an innovative new drainage installation. A former cross-gutter was slotted to prevent algae buildup from year-round groundwater movement but lacked ADA friendliness. To restrict algae accumulation while removing the slot to improve wheelchair access, a new technique was used. Permeable pavers installed in the gutter above the ramp allowed water to percolate thru before reaching the crosswalk. A tree planted in the vicinity absorbs the excess percolated water hindering algae growth & moisture under pavement. Despite funding restraints, the City completed the largest paving project since the PMPs implementation. The new approach to doubling the annual project scale produced significant cost-savings & maxed tax-payer investments in the City’s street system. Creative ideas in environmentally-conscious design & forethought in viable prep maintenance yielded a safe, sustainable product while enabling continuous improvement upon existing street facilities in the most cost-effective manner.