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You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 07/27/12 Mayor Carlisle: Road Maintenance Improvements Underway

MAYOR CARLISLE: ROAD MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS UNDERWAY (Wed., June 27, 2012)—Mayor Peter Carlisle today joined the Department of Facility Maintenance and leaders of the Hawaii Asphalt Pavement Industry to demonstrate several pavement preservation methods the City will evaluate as part of its effort to improve road conditions. "Our goal is to maximize efficiency and protect our roadways to help stop potholes and other problems before they even start," Carlisle said. "One way to do that is to better protect roads that are in good shape. We will also continue to rehabilitate and reconstruct our poorer roads, and we hope to achieve a substantial improvement in roadway conditions." The City is preparing to launch a new pavement preservation program at the start of the new fiscal year that begins July 1. The treatment types demonstrated today at Salt Lake District Park include crack sealing, which prevents water from reaching the road base and is a foundation of all other treatments; fog seal, a rejuvenating topical treatment to retard oxidation; seal coat, which uses emulsion and sand to cover edges of minor cracks and stabilize the wearing surface to reduce road degradation; and slurry seal, a heavy layer that creates a new wearing surface to minimize damage to the road base. Increased emphasis on pavement preservation is a cost-effective national trend, endorsed by the Federal Highway Administration. The key is to apply the right treatment on the right surface at the right time, said Dr. Westley Chun, Director of the Department of Facility Maintenance. "We're pleased to partner with the Hawaii Asphalt Pavement Industry and their members to facilitate a demonstration of the various treatments that are under consideration as part of a comprehensive pavement preservation program," Chun said. The test areas in Salt Lake District Park will be monitored to evaluate how the treatments perform under local weather conditions, including Hawaii's high level of ultra-violet radiation. The City will then identify specific streets that are appropriate for treatment.  -30-  Media contact: Johnny Brannon, Mayor's Office, 768-5767.