This means the cost for repairs, maintenance and replacement is on the rise.
“Everybody’s having to look at different approaches to extending the pavement life,” Franck said.
While roads used to be repaved on a 10-year cycle, he said that is no longer cost-effective in light of rising oil prices. So, in 2004, the application of slurry was implemented locally, to prolong the life of the pavement.
“It’s not designed to be a Band-Aid,” Franck said. “It’s designed to be maintenance, similar to painting your house. You don’t replace the wood every year. You clean and paint.”
Once a new road reaches the age of eight to 10 years, Road Superintendent Josh DeHart said his staff looks to see if it is a candidate for slurry. If there is too much damage, then cracks are repaired and major issues addressed until the road must be replaced. If a road is in good condition, slurry is applied to seal the original pavement and increase the road’s longevity with the hope that slurry might be applied again before having to repave. Once deterioration begins, he said, the road rapidly gets worse.
Deciding which roads will be repaired or repaved and when is “a delicate balancing act,” DeHart said.
The resurfacing must be considered in addition to replacement of curbs and culverts.
Roads with high traffic need to be repaved every 12-15 years, while residential roads may be extended to 20 years, Dehart said. The county also replaces its roads and applies slurry on a cycle. The townships combine with the county to receive one large bid on the contracts, reducing costs.
Road work is slated to begin in West Chester Twp. in the coming weeks, and affected residents already should have received a letter explaining facts about road maintenance and slurry seals, Twp. Spokeswoman Barb Wilson said.
The cost to the township for paving 6.1 miles of roadway in 2011 is close to $864,900 though according to township records, $330,000 of that will be paid from Tax Increment Finance Districts.
Slurry will be applied to 11 miles of roads, totalling about $363,600. Depending on the projects, Franck said, repaving could be three times the cost of slurry coating. Slurry is more environmentally friendly than repaving, he added, because it reuses parts of old concrete. Like concrete, it is a dark black when first applied, but fades over time.
Another benefit, he said, is that within hours of its application, people may drive on it.
“The inconvenience to the resident is a lot less if we do the slurry,” he said. Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com.
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