City of Columbia Missouri

P.O. BOX 6015
COLUMBIA, MO 65205

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 31, 2017

CONTACT: Columbia Public Works
573-874-2489

[Schedule Extension] Chip seal scheduled for 95 Columbia streets, July 5-Aug 4

(COLUMBIA, MO) -

UPDATE DETAILS: Completion of the Chip Seal project of 95 streets has been extended from Monday, July 31 to Friday, August 4, weather permitting. The Street Division will continue to post signs a minimum of 24 hours in advance of when vehicles should be moved off the roadway. The list of streets being chip-sealed this summer is available online at CoMo.gov/PublicWorks/Chipseal.




Original Press Release - June 30, 2017:

The City of Columbia Public Works Department announced on Friday, June 30, that the Street Division plans to begin chip seal maintenance on 95 Columbia streets July 5-31, weather permitting.  

"Our goal is to extend the life of our roadways in the most cost efficient and effective manner," Engineering Manager Richard Stone said. "The approach for each street is based on its condition."

Roadways are rated on a 10-point scale with 10 indicating "new/excellent" condition. Roadways with a rating of 1 have "totally failed" and require reconstruction, which can be very expensive. Typically, an asphalt roadway with a rating of 6-7 is considered to be in "good shape." This would be  the best candidate for a chip seal because the objective is to preserve the underlying roadway structure for as long as possible at a relatively low cost.

How cost-effective is it?

The chip seal process typically costs $1-$2 per square yard. By comparison, milling off the road surface and putting down a new overlay of asphalt costs between $7 and $10 per square yard. This means that a typical 1,000-foot residential street would cost $5,000 to chip seal but more than $25,000 to mill and overlay. Total reconstruction, on the other hand, could range between $200,000 to $350,000 for that same street.

What is chip seal?

Chip sealing uses the same ingredients as asphalt concrete paving but rather than milling the road and laying down new pavement, a thin film of heated asphalt liquid is sprayed on the road surface, followed by the placement of small "chips" or stones. Rollers then go over the chips to compact and adhere them to the existing asphalt. The excess stone is swept from the surface after a period of time once the chips have had time to dry and settle.

"We have recently been using more fog seal treatments to help better lock those chips in place," Stone said. "People have been responding positively to that approach."

What does it do?

The chip seal process is a crucial element of the City's pavement preservation process. It prevents deterioration by sealing up cracks and providing a pliable long-term wearing surface that can typically last 5-7 years (longer if followed up by a fog seal or other treatment).

With the passage of time and vehicles over the roadway, chip seal tends to self heal the cracks in the street and protect the pavement from water intrusion, which is the primary cause of road deterioration.

Safety Tips

During chip seal operations, and several days afterwards, drivers are advised to drive more cautiously. Please avoid speeding, turning too sharply and spinning tires.

The Street Division will post signs a minimum of 24 hours in advance of when vehicles should be moved off the roadway. The list of streets to be chip sealed is available online at CoMo.gov/PublicWorks/Chipseal.



City of Columbia Vision
Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.

City of Columbia Mission
To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.

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