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Rural road chip seal plans for 2016

Several rural roads will be chip sealed this summer to preserve the road surface and extend the life of the road. This work will cause short-term inconvenience, but the result is a long-term benefit.
Media release
Land Use & Transportation
Road Maintenance

Posted

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, June 08, 2016

Chip seals completed
UPDATED: 09/08/2016
Sponsored by: Department of Land Use and Transportation, Operations and Maintenance Division

Pavement markers were restored on Sept. 7, completing this summer's chip seal program.

Thank you for your patience during this necessary but inconvenient work.

Weather delays chip seal work
Updated: 8/12/16

After successful repair of our equipment, mother nature gave us some damp weather which delayed our chip seal activity a couple more days.

The list below is updated to reflect the current tentative schedule. Completion is now expected by Aug. 22.

Check www.wc-roads.com or call 503-846-ROAD (846-7623) for the most up-to-date schedule information.

Chip seals delayed by equipment breakdown
Updated: 07/29/16

An equipment breakdown is delaying chip seal work. A replacement pump for the chip spreader is expected to arrive Monday morning. If all goes as planned, the equipment will be back in service Tuesday morning.

The list below has been updated to reflect the delay caused by the required equipment repair. Completion of this year's chip seal program is expected to be delayed to Aug. 17.

Check www.wc-roads.com or call 503-846-ROAD (846-7623) for the most up-to-date schedule information.

Chip seals on rural roads in progress

Updated: 07/19/16

Chip sealing on rural County roads is in progress. The list below has been updated to reflect the current schedule. The schedule for the final fog seal remains unchanged for the week of Aug. 8.

Check www.wc-roads.com or call 503-846-ROAD (846-7623) for the most up-to-date schedule information.

Original release: 06/08/16

More than 25 miles of rural roads will be chip sealed by Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation (LUT) crews this summer.

Chip sealing is a preventive maintenance treatment that preserves the road surface and extends the life of the road. The chip seal process takes several weeks from start to finish and is dependent on weather and other factors. Chip sealing starts in July and is usually completed by the end of August.

Bicyclists may want to avoid roads during and immediately after chip sealing. During the chip seal process, the road surface is covered with an emulsified asphalt and small rocks (chips). A roller presses the chips into the emulsion, and the surface is swept to remove most of the loose material. To reduce the amount of loose chips even more, a polymerized (stickier) asphalt is used. The process is completed with a fog seal, which is a thin film of liquid asphalt and sand. The fog seal fills small voids, providing a smoother surface.

The roads to be chip sealed and tentative schedule are listed below:

The final fog seal tentative schedule is:

  • Fern Hill, Edy, Mountain Creek - complete
  • Dersham, Jackson Quarry, Scotch Church, Hornecker - complete
  • Mountain Dale, Aerts - complete
  • Cedar Canyon, Sell, Green Mountain - complete

Pavement markings will be restored after the chip seal work is complete.

For the most up-to-date schedule information, check www.wc-roads.com or call 503-846-ROAD (846-7623).

LUT staff recognize this road work causes some short-term inconvenience. Please keep in mind that the result is a long-term benefit to all road users, including bicyclists. Patience is appreciated.

Related: Chip Seal Fact Sheet

Washington County is committed to planning, building and maintaining a great transportation system, ensuring the safety of all roadway users, and operating the County roadway system in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner.

Media Contact:

Melissa De Lyser, Communications Coordinator
503-846-4963
[email protected]