About 30 of the city’s 67 recognized neighborhoods to see improved road conditions after work scheduled from July through September
VANCOUVER — Roughly 30 of Vancouver’s 67 recognized neighborhoods are set to see some type of pavement management work this summer as the city plans to use $10.5 million in order to improve street conditions.
It’s the largest pavement management program to date for the city, according to a press release.
The work, which is scheduled to take place between July and September, includes 215 new curb ramps and 121 lane miles of pavement resurfacing and preservation.
“This year’s pavement preservation – which includes microsurfacing, slurry seal, and chip seal treatments – is focused east of Interstate 205,” according to the city of Vancouver. “This year’s resurfacing (asphalt paving) includes rehabilitation of 14.5 lane miles of residential streets that are currently in poor or failed condition, located in several neighborhoods throughout Vancouver.”
While work won’t get underway for a few months, certified arborists are already trimming vegetation as needed, with pavement patching and Americans with Disabilities Act ramp improvements to follow. Restriping of lanes and replacement of other pavement markings will be completed after the surface work is done, according to the city.
The work plan is an improvement from past years. The number of new ramps to be installed this year, for instance, represents a 20 percent increase from 2017. The city is also getting a head start on planning for ramps scheduled for pavement work in 2019.
“There are 1,875 lanes miles of paved streets in Vancouver,” stated the press release. “Each year, paved streets are evaluated to determine the most cost-effective methods to extend pavement life and provide better driving conditions. When streets begin to fail, they fail quickly and the cost to repair them increases dramatically. Keeping good streets in good condition provides the most cost-effective and efficient use of available resources.”
The funding and focus of the roadwork is the result of a sustainable street funding strategy adopted by the Vancouver City Council in 2015. The goal is to improve overall street conditions for all users over time.
“As the funding has ramped up, the city has increased its efforts to preserve and extend the life of good streets and steadily address the backlog of residential streets that failed years ago,” according to the press release. “In addition to the Street Funding Strategy revenues, which include the Transportation Benefit District license tab fees, pavement management is supported through previously collected local property, sales and real estate excise taxes.”
To learn more about the city’s pavement management program, including a list and map of streets slated for improvements, visit www.cityofvancouver.us/pavement.
Schedules will also be posted to the web site in advance of work, though they are highly weather dependent and subject to change. Alerts will also be posted to Twitter @VanPubWorksUS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VancouverPublicWorks.
2018 Resurfacing Projects
The following streets will be paved this summer as part of the 2018 Pavement Management Program:
- West Sixth Street – Columbia Street to C Street
- Southeast Evergreen Hwy – SE Chelsea Avenue to SE Image Road
- Northeast 54th Street – NE 82nd Avenue to NE 94th Avenue
2018 Rehabilitation Projects
Rehabilitation projects focus on residential streets with aged or failed asphalt surfaces. Depending on existing conditions, failed asphalt is either removed or pulverized in-place. The exposed surface is then compacted and paved with about 3 inches of hot mix asphalt. Thanks to the added Street Funding revenue, a number of aged residential streets are expected to be rehabilitated each year through the Pavement Management Program. Look for work in the following neighborhoods in 2018:
- Arnada
- Burton Evergreen
- Burton Ridge
- Esther Short
- Forest Ridge
- Hough
- Lincoln
- Marrion
- Riverview
