Street Maintenance

Street Maintenance and Repair

As citizens of Spanish Fork City, we pride ourselves on the quality of our streets. We as a division try to provide quality streets for each citizen by using a variety of treatment types. When used at the proper time, the proper treatment ensures a higher quality road for a longer amount of time for less money.

The treatment types are as follows:

  1. Crack Seal
  2. Mineral Seal
  3. Slurry Seal
  4. Micro Seal
  5. Chip Seal
  6. Asphalt Overlay

Crack Seal

crack seal being appliedThe crack sealing material is designed to seal up fractures and cracks that develop in asphalt due to the freeze and thaw cycle in our climate. It’s main purpose is to keep water out of the base and sub base. Water can be the greatest threat to our roads because it will soften the base and the asphalt will fail. High pressure air is used to blow the dirt out of the cracks before sealing. After the seal has fully cured our sweeper truck will come by and sweep up the mess. Our goal is to crack seal every street within 7 years and touch up before any treatments are applied.


Mineral Seal

mineral seal being appliedThe purpose of this treatment is to restore the binder, a glue that holds the asphalt together. It’s also used to waterproof and keep the UV rays off. Direct sunlight will reduce the lifespan of asphalt.
This treatment works best on newer roads with lower traffic volume such as subdivisions. It has high public acceptance, but requires a 24 hour road closure.


Slurry Seal (Types I, II, and III)

slurry seal being appliedThis treatment provides a new layer to be worn out without further damaging the existing road. It is usually applied to pavement that is in the middle or later stages of its  life cycle. Type I, II and III refers to the size of rock or aggregate that is applied.  Road closure is 8 to 10 hours and looks better once the traffic is able to knead it in. One of the downfalls of this product is that some of the aggregate that lands towards the top of the surface will come loose and accumulate in the ditches. We can not send the sweeper out to clean it up until the product is fully cured. 


Micro Seal

micro seal being appliedThis is a surface treatment designed to extend the life of asphalt pavements in good condition by providing skid resistance, restricting moisture intrusion, protecting the structure from further oxidation and raveling, and restoring a uniform black appearance. It is the most economical choice when leveling is required. Micro-surfacing boasts quick construction times and minimal disruption to the traveling public.


Chip Seal

chip seal being appliedChip sealing is a very cost-effective way to get more years of life out of your road. Spanish Fork has used this for several years and we have many roads that are chipped. Chip sealing is not popular with the public and they often voice their opinions and dissatisfaction about it. Our goal is to try and discontinue the use of Chip Sealing in residential areas and limit it to the outskirts of town and in industrial areas.


Asphalt Overlay

Asphalt_OverlayAsphalt overlay is done when the road has reached the end of its life cycle and there are no more cost-effective ways to treat the pavement.

 

Best First Approach

Spanish Fork City has a best first approach to asphalt maintenance. This means we will fix and maintain the best roads first. By taking this approach it allows us to extend pavement life, spend money wisely and put down the right treatment at the right time.

graph showing the pavement life curve

Although city crews inspect city streets and report problems, we greatly rely on citizens to help inform us of these problems. If you find a pothole or street that needs to be repaired in your area, please contact us at (801) 804-4454 or make a request in our Citizen Support Center.

The Spanish Fork City Streets Division relies on the help of citizens to be successful in repairing and maintaining our roads. Below you will find a list of things that you can do to help us keep our town beautiful and functional.

  • Notify us at (801) 804-4454 or make a request in the Citizen Support Center if you notice damaged or missing street signs, potholes, hazardous sidewalks and/or curb and gutter, or any other problems.
  • During winter, please do not park your vehicle on the street so that the snowplows are able to safely plow your streets without risk of damaging property.
  • During street maintenance in your area please do not park on the road for 48 hours, or as long as crews are still working in the area. Also, please make sure your sprinklers do not spray water on any part of the street during that time. Do not spin your tires or turn sharply on the new road surfaces.
  • Place garbage cans on pickup day away from obstructions and in clear view.