Wednesday morning Randy Budreau and I took a trip to Summerset to get a first-hand look at their roads. I had been there a couple years ago and remembered the roads looking good so I wanted to check again. Randy has been doing a lot of research so it was good we both were there.
In speaking with their maintenance manager (Denny) we were told they are on a five year cycle with their roads, thus keeping them in good shape. They are using chip & seal process and the stone they are using is fractured rock rather than pea gravel for better skid resistance during the winter. I also spoke with their general manager Tuesday and he is very happy with the results. They have their own specifications for mixture and have found one that is working well. It is not done in-house but contracted out with a major company.
Chip & seal is not as smooth as asphalt but it has a good appearance and one great plus in my mind is it tends to “heal itself” by self sealing cracks so there is not a lot of upkeep. The roughness is not to the extent it would cause a problem for bicyclists or buggies but skateboards would feel it. We noticed the same sunken areas where utilities have undercut their streets as they have here so the problem is pervasive.
As in all matters, cost is a factor and this is far less cash intensive than the FDR or deep overlays we have also been investigating. Investigation will continue until we are sure we are doing this right for the property owners. More meetings to come!
Ken Dillenburg