County of San Diego Building Better Roads Program
Location
San Diego County Region
City or County Responsible for Project
County of San Diego
Category
Roads: Efficient and Sustainable Road Maintenance, Construction and Reconstruction Projects.
Author
Mark Perrett
County of San Diego Department of Public Works
5500 Overland Avenue, Suite 320, San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 694-2693
Project Description
The County of San Diego’s Building Better Roads program was established as a collaborative effort between local stakeholders including cities, agencies, private industries, and industry associations to identify innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable pavement preservation treatments that can be easily and efficiently implemented throughout the state. The Building Better Roads Working Group has become the centerpiece of this program by including a diverse set of representatives from the County, Caltrans, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), local cities, and private industries and associations. The goals of the Working Group are to bring together the extensive knowledge, experience, and ideas from all stakeholders to (1) identify best practices to sustain local resources, including dwindling aggregate reserves; (2) develop sustainable best practices, which also benefits agencies in the development and implementation of their climate action plans and sustainability goals; (3) develop and consider road resurfacing solutions that are cost-effective; and (4) work together to identify solutions that can be used across our region. The Working Group developed four subcommittees that consist of industry and agency experts to evaluate focus areas, including Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP), Mix Designs for Asphalt, Alternative Pavement Types, and Contracting Methodology. The subcommittees meet independently to develop and review findings that are presented to the Working Group for adoption after a thorough vetting process. Some of the topics the subcommittees are currently exploring include RAP processing and storage best practices, increasing RAP content in asphalt mix designs, standardizing asphalt mix designs across the region, using alternative pavements like fiber reinforced asphalt, and improving local agency contracting processes. The Working Group has also highlighted the importance of stakeholder education by hosting workshops, facility tours, and other industry committee meetings in support of Working Group goals on topics such as tack coat best practices, RAP processing and storage, and cutting-edge research on high RAP mixes. As a result of the Working Group’s efforts, pilot programs are being implemented for several of the proposed solutions, such as the use of higher RAP pavement mixes in local roads that support aggregate sustainability, and delayed contract start times, which allows more contractors to bid and increases competition. Guidance documents are being developed for each of the focus areas that will be made available on the internet free of charge for use by cities and agencies throughout California. By establishing a Working Group that includes a diverse collection of stakeholders throughout the industry, innovative and sustainable solutions have been identified that will have far-reaching benefits, from increased safety for travelers throughout the region to economic savings and reduced environmental impacts.
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