Now that spring is in full bloom, as many of our Milan city drivers have noticed: so are the potholes. For two years now, here at the City of Milan we have implemented an innovative new pothole repair that not only makes for a longer lasting fix, but it is also cheaper and more environmentally responsible.
The process is called "Infrared Restoration," and the results of this fantastic new process can be seen throughout the city; most recently on Wabash Street.
Infrared Restoration uses an infrared heater over the needed street repair for 8 minutes.
After 8 minutes, the heat softens the asphalt so it can be raked into an even surface with a depth of 2-inches. Then it is sprayed with a rejuvenator which adds essential oils back into the asphalt that were lost over time. A small amount of fresh asphalt is mixed in with the old asphalt.
After it is thoroughly mixed, the surface is rolled smooth. This new process is fast; most repairs can be made in a matter of 10 minutes or so. It is long lasting because there are no seams around the repair.
The conventional method for pothole fixes was just to add more asphalt to the hole and roll it out. This left a seam around the edge that required regular maintenance using a sealant to keep rain water from eroding it. This new infrared restoration process has no seams around the repair, the "fix" is done and requires no maintenance, and it is less expensive because it just takes minutes to do a repair and completes the repair, essentially using the asphalt that is already there.
Here you can see the process in action on repairs made to Wabash Street about two weeks ago. Check out the demonstration video I included on this blog---it really is a neat process to watch!
Repairing potholes in our city is an ongoing process. Please be on the lookout for street crews using this technology on a pothole near you. This blogpost shows repairs being done on Wabash Street--but repairs are scheduled to be completed throughout the entire city.
This spring Marvin Street will be resurfaced from County to Michigan streets. This is a $125,000 project paid for through the Federal Stimulus program.
In addition a complete reconstruction of streets in the Riverside Subdivision will begin this spring, with the goal of rebuilding all of the underground water and sewer infrastructure as well as sidewalks, curbs and street resurfacing.
The process is called "Infrared Restoration," and the results of this fantastic new process can be seen throughout the city; most recently on Wabash Street.
Infrared Restoration uses an infrared heater over the needed street repair for 8 minutes.
After 8 minutes, the heat softens the asphalt so it can be raked into an even surface with a depth of 2-inches. Then it is sprayed with a rejuvenator which adds essential oils back into the asphalt that were lost over time. A small amount of fresh asphalt is mixed in with the old asphalt.
After it is thoroughly mixed, the surface is rolled smooth. This new process is fast; most repairs can be made in a matter of 10 minutes or so. It is long lasting because there are no seams around the repair.
The conventional method for pothole fixes was just to add more asphalt to the hole and roll it out. This left a seam around the edge that required regular maintenance using a sealant to keep rain water from eroding it. This new infrared restoration process has no seams around the repair, the "fix" is done and requires no maintenance, and it is less expensive because it just takes minutes to do a repair and completes the repair, essentially using the asphalt that is already there.
Here you can see the process in action on repairs made to Wabash Street about two weeks ago. Check out the demonstration video I included on this blog---it really is a neat process to watch!
Repairing potholes in our city is an ongoing process. Please be on the lookout for street crews using this technology on a pothole near you. This blogpost shows repairs being done on Wabash Street--but repairs are scheduled to be completed throughout the entire city.
This spring Marvin Street will be resurfaced from County to Michigan streets. This is a $125,000 project paid for through the Federal Stimulus program.
In addition a complete reconstruction of streets in the Riverside Subdivision will begin this spring, with the goal of rebuilding all of the underground water and sewer infrastructure as well as sidewalks, curbs and street resurfacing.
I appreciate the quick response upon my expressions of concern. While you point out the great patch job, you failed to notice the many smaller holes which will undoubtedly grow to BIG ones very soon. Also, I've noticed some equally DEEP holes around town. Off the top of my head, there is one HUGE hole on Marvin St. Milan's roads are falling apart...literally!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Gina,
ReplyDeleteActually the Wabash repair was not in response to your inquiry; just incredibly good timing. You just happened to ask about it a day or two before the scheduled repair happened. Marvin Street is getting a resurfaced in the upcoming weeks from County to Michigan. As for the other potholes we are steadily getting to all of them on a weekly basis. We have also recently made some changes that will now make more of our streets eligible for MDOT grant funds for repairs.