Crack Sealing
Through normal wear and tear, cracks form in the street's asphalt. If moisture or debris gets down into the cracks and expands, it can cause a much larger problem. Crack sealing fills cracks with hot applied rubberized material to prevent water from getting into the road base. This repair is typically done one to two years in advance of the scheduled resurfacing.

Ride-ability Pass
Newly paved areas improve the smoothness of the travel lanes but do not cover the entire roadway.

Base Repair
Base repair removes distressed areas where the pavement is fractured and broken and is allowing water to weaken the sub grade under the roadway. Various methods are used to remove the distressed asphalt, such as backhoe and cold mill planers. Once the old asphalt is removed, new asphalt is placed. These repairs are typically done up to a year in advance of scheduled resurfacing.

Skin patching
Low areas that are imperfections in the asphalt are patched with fine AC (asphalt concrete). Typically these depressions are small and have settled over time. This gives the street a patchwork appearance. These repairs are done during the warmer weather, sometimes a year in advance but usually just prior to resurfacing.

Skin patching also repairs small potholes. A "pothole" is a hole in the street. The bottom of the hole is rounded like the bottom of a bowl. Driving over a pothole can cause steering problems and tire/suspension damage.

How do potholes form? The first step is when water gets down into cracks in the asphalt. The road, which is made up of rock, gravel and sand, soaks up the water and holds it inside. See more on How Potholes Are Born.

Resurfacing

• Slurry Seal
  A slurry seal is a preventative measure that places a blend of oil and small aggregate over the road. The construction cost is approximately $1.75 per square yard. Slurry sealing can extend the life of a street by 5-7 years.

Think of slurry seal as re-soleing a shoe. It puts a durable layer on top to make it last longer.

• Cape Seal
  A cape seal is a chip seal followed by a slurry seal. This process gives the strength of a chip seal with the added benefit of a smoother riding surface; therefore it is used instead of a chip seal. Construction cost is approximately $4.00 per square yard. Cape sealing can extend the life of a street by 9-12 years.
  
• Overlay
  The highest form of street maintenance, overlay involves the placement of a new layer of asphalt, approximately three and a half to six inches thick, on the street. The construction cost to overlay a street is approximately $25 per square yard depending upon the thickness required. Properly maintained, an overlay can extend the life of the street by 20-25 years. Heavily used streets may require more frequent overlays.

What to Expect During Resurfacing
Convenience for businesses and residents is a top priority during the street resurfacing process. Because advance warning of roadwork is crucial, the City wants you to be ready. You'll be notified with a reminder hanging on your door three to five days before your street is resurfaced. This notice will contain information about when the roadwork will occur. Before and after the actual resurfacing, work crews may be seen performing other work on the street.

Street resurfacing typically occurs in the summer and fall. Although the roadwork is scheduled around commute hours, the details of what to expect are different for each type of resurfacing. Most commonly, no vehicles will be allowed on the street during the resurfacing process and the street will be closed for a portion of the day. Depending on the condition of the street, one of three types of resurfacing will be applied on the street.

View Current Public Works Projects

Questions?
If you have questions, requests or suggestions contact Public Works at 916.625.5500 or by email at Access Rocklin.