ADA COUNTY — The Ada County Highway District has earned acclaim for its preventative maintenance programs, including chip seal and crack seal. The International Slurry Surfacing Association (ISSA) honored the District with the 2024 ISSA Excellence in Pavement Preservation Award.
The annual award is presented to an entity, “that has been a champion in the promotion, use and success of pavement preservation applications represented by ISSA,” according to the association.
Many residents of Ada County are familiar with ACHD’s chip seal and crack seal programs. For nearly 30 years, ACHD crews have applied chip seal and crack seal treatments on Ada County roadways. Each summer, crews focus on one of seven zones in the county. The programs allow ACHD to preserve its roadway network in good condition.
"These programs have contributed to our success in maintaining one of the highest pavement condition ratings in the northwest," said Pavement Management Engineer Rick Patricelli. "We are honored to be recognized for these innovative and evolving processes."
Last year, Nichols Consulting Engineers examined ACHD’s roadways, and gave a Pavement Condition Index Rating of 78 out of 100. The ranking is among the top of the roadways examined by NCE. Areas with higher PCI ratings included Orange County, San Bernadino County, and Solano County, areas that see milder weather and fewer snow events.
Chip seal and crack seal are cost-effective ways to extend the life of a roadway. Alternative methods to maintain and repair roadways include the process to mill and inlay, which costs an estimated ten times the amount of chip sealing. By strategically using crack seal and chip seal, roadways last longer before needing to be replaced, which in turn saves a significant amount of money for the District and its taxpayers.
ACHD was also recognized by the ISSA for the improvements made to the chip seal and crack seal programs over the years. Both programs have undergone changes to help streamline the process, become more efficient, and ensure a treatment is applied at the right time.
During the 2023 chip seal season, ACHD was also able to integrate additional safety improvements. Through collaboration between departments, crews took advantage of the clean slate that chip seal provides, and restriped some roadways with new configurations, such as adding bike lanes and removing under-utilized middle lanes.
The ISSA also recognized ACHD for making its chip seal and crack seal programs cost effective, by completing many components of the operations in-house. The chip seal operation is accomplished by using in-house maintenance teams and equipment, and ACHD mines the chips from its own gravel pits.
“Each year our crews face unique challenges, from varying weather to navigating narrow neighborhoods,” said ACHD Maintenance Manager Lloyd Carnegie. “Through it all, our crews are committed to maintaining the good condition of our roadways.”
The ISSA awards were officially announced at the annual ISSA meeting last week.
