Road and Bridge crack seals 17 ½ Road to lengthen road’s lifespan
Last week, Mesa County Road and Bridge crews worked on one seemingly small project that saves Mesa County taxpayers money over time. In about eight days, the team crack sealed 17 ½ Road from K 6/10 Road to N 3/10 Road — completing one portion of the District A (Appleton, Fruita, Glade Park, Loma, Mack, Redlands) crack sealing project they have been working on since January of this year.
Crack sealing is a process in which cracks in the pavement are cleaned out with a blast of compressed air to remove debris, followed by applying hot asphalt material carefully poured into the cracks and smoothed over with a squeegee to ensure even coverage.
Almost all asphalt roads experience cracking throughout their lifespan from the expansion and contraction of the road surface. These cracks allow moisture to penetrate into the road subbase, causing subsurface failures and potholes. Sealing cracks in the pavement as soon as possible is a high priority because it stops moisture from penetrating, which prolongs the life of a road and saves the County money by delaying heftier road restoration efforts.
Road and Bridge uses the Pavement Condition Index scores (PCIs) gathered from their most recent road scans and collaborates closely with our Engineering Division to best determine which roads receive crack sealing and in what order.
If you drive down a road and notice cracks, potholes, or other road issues, please utilize our Road Problem Reporter to help us improve Mesa County roads. Not sure if it’s a Mesa County Road? Our tool will tell you which jurisdiction the road belongs to.
