The 2012 Chip Seal contract is complete.

The 2012 Chip Seal contract is complete.
Crews will be applying a coating over the next few weeks to seal the surface, after the newly chipped raods have had a chance to cure and have been swept.Please obey the posted temporary speed limits to avoid vehicle damage and minimize flying rock chips until the sealant coat is applied and the temporary speed signs are removed.

Revisions, etc...

In true PNW fashion, the rain held on tight right up until Independence Day, so the Doolittle crew decided to play it safe and not start laying oil and rock until Thursday morning. In order to make up for the delay, they will be working on Saturday, July the 7th, and the amended schedule is posted on the right. The biggest impact days will be (at this time) July 6th & 11th.  Case Road from 183rd to 113th on Friday the 6th, and 113th from Littlerock to 1-5, and Littlerock Rd from 128th to 93rd on the 11th,. Watch our Twitter Feed for updates @TCPWProjects

Let's Paint it Black... then cover it with rocks...

If the weather holds, Doolittle Construction will begin chipseal on THURSDAY, June 28th.  The current planned schedule is available on the Right side of this page under "PAGES", but you will need to adjust the dates shown.  We want to remind you that the process is highly moisture and temperature dependent so there may be last minute changes in the schedule. The best way to keep on top of this is to follow us on Twitter and/or subscribe to this blog. Our lead ground inspector will be tweeting live from the project. You will see his tweets from @TC_ProjInsp showing up on the @TCPWProjects Twitter feed letting you know the current location and status of the crew and roads.


The crew will take July 3rd & 4th off and resume work on the 5th. 


Some helpful tips:

• If your roads is scheduled for that day, please have all vehicles and trailers off of the road by 8:00 AM.
• If you happen to get a bit of the oil on your car, bike, shoe, child, etc... rubbing with a citrus-based cleaner on a cloth will generally remove it.
• Delays are generally short. However, a road is usually closed for a period of 30 minutes while the oil and rock are being applied, and then cured/set. If it's an emergency and you need to get out of your driveway, please contact one of the ground crew and they will guide you out as quickly and safely as possible. 
• A speed of 25 MPH or less is recommended to lessen gravel spray from several days to weeks following the chipseal. This will save windshields and paint chips. It will also lessen potential traction loss from loose gravel when stopping or turning. 
• There may seem to be some excess gravel at first, but this is intentional. Crews will return in a few weeks to sweep away the excess.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the project coordinator, Diane Sheesley,PE, or call 360-867-2300 option #3

Prep Work begins

Road Maintenance crews are preparing the roads for chip-seal with dig-outs, fog-sealing and crack-sealing, shoulder sweeping and mowing. Soon the signs will be going up and you may be getting a notice on your door notifying you of times and dates that you will need to have parked vehicles off of the roads.


Once the contractor gives us his schedule, we will be posting that here.  You will be able to receive notifications during the actual work days of the project via Twitter by following @TCPWProjects  at twitter.com 

Doolittle Construction submits apparent low bid for 2012 contract.

The chipseal bids were opened and the apparent low bidder was Doolittle Construction LLC. This is pending the approval of the award of bid by the BOCC at their weekly meeting.  

Signs will begin going up in early to mid June with actual work starting later in the month.  After award of the project we will be posting the contractor's schedule and then updates as necessary for weather and other delays.

You can view the list of roads by clicking on the 2012 Roads tab.

You will be able to follow the crew as it works on Twitter at @TC_ProjInsp and @TCPWProjects

CHIP SEAL -- WHAT IS IT ANYWAY?

As Thurston County's population continues to grow, the wear and tear on the roads also increases. Chip seal is a cost effective solution to this problem, with a life span ranging from six to twelve years.

Chip seal is a key part of the county's preventive maintenance program to maximize the service life of our roads. It helps to protect, preserve and extend pavement life. The end result is a pavement better to drive on, look at and will cost less in the long run.

 

Today's technically advanced chip seals are economical surface treatments designed to protect and prolong the life of pavements (6-12 yrs). In a single chip seal, an asphalt binder is sprayed onto the pavement, then immediately covered by a single layer of uniformly sized aggregate. The new chip sealed surface is then rolled to seal the aggregate to the oil, swept, fog-sealed, striped and ready for traffic. A chip seal is a perfect tool for pavement preventive maintenance. Chip seal provides a quick, reliable and economical surface treatment that will seal out the damaging effect of water, help to increase skid resistance, improve aesthetics and delineation and provide a new wearing surface to protect the pavement for years to come.

PHASE ONE   CHIP SEAL PREP WORK:
In the early spring months, county crews will be out sealing cracks in the roads and paving some small areas that have sunk or deteriorated over the winter. This preparation helps to ensure the longevity of the road at a minimal cost. Crews and mowers will be out cutting back the shoulder vegetation and trimming the trees that hang over the road. Gravel roads that have been selected for chip seal upgrade will be bladed frequently, widening the road surface and clearing the rock off the road surface. Stop bars and rail road crossings will be ground off the road to allow for the chip seal to adhere properly. All roads will be swept prior to the application and door hangers and fliers will be given to notify residents of the upcoming events. The proposed dates of when we will be in your area are dependent on many things, weather, rock, oil, etc, so please be patient!

PHASE TWO   APPLICATION:Occurring in the months of July & August, chip seal will be applied to local roads. Roads WILL NOT be closed, however there will be temporary delays in the flow of traffic due to the machinery, trucks and workers on the road. 1/2 to 3/8  inch rock will be applied over a thin coat of oil to the road. Rollers will roll over the new section repeatedly and within ten minutes the new surface is safe to drive on. Gravel roads will receive two lifts of chip seal the first year and one the second year.

PHASE THREE   FOG SEAL:
One to three weeks after the application of the chip seal, fog seal will be applied to the road. Fog seal helps to seal in the new road, keep the rocks and dust down and give it a new eye appeasing black surface. This is shot on the road one lane at a time and takes up to an hour to dry so travel time will be temporarily slowed. After fog seal is completed the road will be re striped and the chip seal process is complete.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: Why do some areas get an asphalt overlay, and others get chip seal?

A: Chip seal is for roads that are in generally good condition. It is applied as a wearing course to prolong the life of the road. Asphalt is used when the road needs a better surface, because of minor to major surface defects.

Q: How long before we can drive on it?

A: Generally, you can drive on the road as soon as the rollers make the last pass. There is loose gravel, so you will need to go slow. Speeds below 25 MPH are recommended.

Q: Will the oil get on my car?

A: No. As long as you drive at the speed advised, oil should not get on your vehicle. Small spots can be removed by rubbing with a small amount of diesel on a rag.

Q: What is the reason you have a gravel road upgraded?

A: As we eliminate gravel roads it reduces costs in man hours and the rock used in maintaining the roads. Upgrading the road also helps to decrease fugitive dust & reduces the potential of erosion.

For more information, call us at 360-786-5495 or email -Contact- and put the word CHIPSEAL in the subject line.