Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation (LUT) Operations and Maintenance Division recently completed nearly 23 miles of chip sealing for 2018.

Almost half of the 1,300 miles of roads maintained by Washington County are two-lane rural roads, winding through farms, forests, nurseries and vineyards. Chip seals are cost effective surface treatments that protect and prolong the life of structurally sound but aging pavement. When a road is properly maintained by chip sealing every seven to 10 years, then much more expensive repaving is necessary only every 20 to 30 years.

Initially the road is swept to remove loose particles. Then, a distributor sprays asphalt emulsion along the road, followed by a chip spreader (laying down uniformly sized aggregate). The chip seal is then rolled to set the aggregate and swept to remove any loose material. This process creates a waterproof surface, seals small cracks in the road and improves skid resistance.

Once the chip seal is laid down it is ready to be driven on, almost immediately. It does not require a long curing process. Vehicles traveling over the surface assist in embedding rock into the oil and creating a smooth driving surface over time.

For more information about Washington County road maintenance visit WC-Roads.