Cool temperatures could delay fog sealing

Below average temperatures may force city transportation to hold off on street fog sealing for the foreseeable future.

The Transportation Division of the Public Works Department began a street sealing resurfacing program earlier this month with plans expected to coat several streets before Nov. 6, but weather forecasts predicting temperatures hovering around 40 degrees Wednesday night may mean delays. Officials say the fog sealing requires temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees, giving the department only about six weeks to complete the process.

“Depending on the weather, we could either wrap everything up this week or if this cold front does come in, we won’t get to it until the spring,” Transportation Division Maintenance Supervisor Bruce Billiet said. “If we don’t get it down, it could limit the life of those roads we don’t finish.”

Fog sealing is a method that is used to lock in fines and fill surface voids and works on new pavement to extend the life of the asphalt, according to officials. Representatives with the transportation department have been working between midnight and 6 a.m. for the last month to finish the fog sealing. Without the inexpensive process, the life of streets becomes limited and could require repairs as soon as next year.

“The Sun dries out the oils in the asphalt and you’ll start to see big rocks and ruts and that could require some really expensive repairs,” Field Supervisor Ken Porosky said. “With as many new streets that we have in town, we need to protect those assets and if we can’t get it done, then those streets won’t be protected.”

Porosky said if the coating is finished, the city could potentially save millions of dollars in repairs to roads during the next five years.

Drivers are asked to avoid roads being sealed for at least four hours after completion to give the materials time to set. A final schedule will be released later this week.

You can contact the reporter at nbruttell@havasunews.com

Fog Seal schedule (depending on weather) for Oct. 27 to 28 is as follows:

Bombay Lane, Bombay Court, Bombay Place, Bombay Plaza South, Sandwood Place, Angler Place, Avalon Lane, Hillview Plaza, College Lane, Anapaca Place, Hillview Drive-Sandwood Drive to Palisades Drive, College Drive-Lampkin Drive to Catalina Drive, Jolly Rogers Drive, Bombay Circle, Bombay Plaza North, Angler Drive, Sandwood Drive, Birchett Lane, Hillview Place, Palisades Court, Anapaca Place, Lake Havasu Court, Avalon Avenue-Palo Verde Boulevard to Palisades Drive, Amigo Drive-Avalon Avenue to Arabian Drive, Arabian Plaza, Shorewood Court, Shorewood Plaza, Shorewood Circle, Catalina Drive-Shorewood Drive to Huntington Drive, Huntington Drive-Shorewood Drive to Avalon Avenue.