MERIDIAN — The Ada County Highway District will begin chip seal treatments starting Tuesday, May 28th on select streets in north Meridian.
The Highway District has divided the county into six chip seal zones with one area receiving work annually. What’s referred to as Maintenance Zone 2N -- the area west from Five Mile Road to Black Cat Road and north from I-84 to Fairview Avenue and Ustick Road -- will receive chip seal treatments this summer.
“This year, ACHD will chip seal and fog seal nearly 450 lane miles of roadway. Chip sealing helps extend the life of the road by helping to seal and protect it from weather and wear,” said ACHD spokeswoman Natalie Shaver.
In certain areas, "No Parking" signs will be placed by the sidewalks next to the street 24 to 48 hours in advance of the work beginning. “Once the work begins, motorists are prohibited from parking on the street. Vehicles remaining on the street will be moved to a nearby street unaffected by the maintenance. Residents and businesses will receive notices five to ten days before the actual work begins. This notice will inform them of the intended time frame for work to begin, however all work is weather dependent,” Shaver explained
Drivers should take care when driving through a chip seal zone. It is very important to follow posted speed limits and other instructions to help prevent oil and chips from damaging vehicles, she said.
“An asphalt distributor truck coats each lane with liquid asphalt. This is immediately followed by a chip spreader applying chips. Next, a rubber-tire roller sets the chips into the fresh oil to produce a tighter chip seal. Once the asphalt has fully set, which takes about five to ten days, a sweeper truck will remove the excess rock. The final step -- the fog seal -- is a second application of oil that controls loose rocks and dust and provides a fresh surface for pavement markings. The road is safe for motorists to drive on approximately fifteen minutes after the initial chip seal or fog seal has been place,” Shaver stated.
The chip seal season is expected to be completed by September.
