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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 05.d.;. Ipava Avenue Mill and Overlay LAKEVILLE PUBLIC WORKS Christopher Petree, Director August 2012 A mill and overlay consists of milling off an inch or two of the asphalt roadway surface and replacing it with the same amount of new asphalt. The purpose is to create a new road surface in place of one that was plagued by surface failures. Typically, collector roadways in the City receive periodic mill and overlay refurbishment due to the level of traffic and slightly higher speeds. The segment of Ipava Avenue between Kenwood Trail and 202n Street was the last in a series of collector overlay undertaken by the Engineering Division this summer. Collector overlays are managed through the City's pavement management program and are evaluated on the same pavement rating system as other streets Lakeville. However, collector roadways, due to their importance to the in 1 transportation infrastructure, are held to a higher standard for maintenance and repair. During this project, contractors milled and replaced approximately 2- inches of asphalt and replaced areas of structurally deficient curb and gutter. ❖ Manhole Raising Both weather and traffic take their toll on City streets. The movement of the pavement can, over time, result in manholes and valves settling below the level of the road surface. This was the case along Kenwood Trail north of 1 -35 where several manholes had settled, causing a depression in the road surface. Staff from the Utilities Division spent several days removing asphalt from around the manholes and bringing them up to grade. The first step in the process was to cut out and remove the asphalt and dirt around the manhole and rings to get down to the manhole structure itself. The manhole structure provides a firm base on which new components can be placed to raise the manhole. For this project, staff used a combination of cement and plastic rings to restore the manhole level with the roadway. A contractor followed immediately behind City staff to repave the area around the manhole and return Kenwood Trail to full use. 2 + Sign Installation Among the list of things to do associated with the street reconstruction project in Valley Park is the updating of signs to the current standards. As part of the project, the Streets Division installs the new signs once the area behind the curb is restored. The City uses Telespar, a square, telescoping tubing system in place of the older round post and U- channel post that are common for most sign applications. Telespar provides for flexibility and ease of sign installation and makes repairs easier for signs that have been knocked down. Staff replaces all of the signs on each post with the new diamond grade sheeting that has greater retroreflectivity and a longer service life over the previously used engineer grade sheeting. Receivers are directly embedded in the boulevard and the finished sign post is inserted to the proper depth and locked in place. ❖ Asphalt Patching An important aspect of maintaining the transportation infrastructure is keeping the road surface viable. There are a variety of methods available to seal and preserve the asphalt surface against environmental oxidation and subsequent weakening. However, when the surface fails, the alternatives narrow dramatically and correspondingly increase in cost. One of the first methods used by the Streets Division is to lay a patch over the failed surface. With the new asphalt patch truck, this is a much safer and more efficient process. Previous methods placed hot mix 3 in the bed of a small dump truck and the staff poured and shoveled it from the bed as quickly as possible before it cooled. The new truck holds more asphalt and that means less time is lost as the truck makes replenishment runs to the asphalt plant. It also keeps the mix at a constant temperature which makes it easier to apply. With the proper adhesion and smoothing provided by a vibratory roller, a surface patch will last for several years. • Transportation Safety Improvements Several improvements to pedestrian safety have occurred throughout the City over the past few months. One of the projects was a traffic calming project along Flagstaff Avenue between County Road 46 and Dodd Boulevard. This included the restriping of Flagstaff Avenue to make the traffic lanes narrower and the installation of solar powered driver feedback signs that digitally display a vehicle's current speed. The narrower traffic lanes provide a visual cue to reduce speeds and the driver feedback signs reinforce the 30 MPH speed limit. Another project was to upgrade the new pedestrian crossing on Ipava Avenue near Century Middle School. The placement of the crosswalk was based on pedestrian traffic patterns, but its location and the speed limit along that portion of Ipava required additional measures to increase its visibility to motorists. To increase visibility of the crosswalk and call attention to pedestrians using the crosswalk, pushbutton activated solar powered LED pedestrian crossing signs were installed. The signs are wirelessly connected so all signs activate when one of the crossing buttons is pushed. The final project was the completion of a Safe i..iSN!:MI•i 4 Routes to School project at the intersection of Highview Avenue and 175` Street. Traffic volume through this intersection and the high level of pedestrian activity due to the proximity of Cherry View Elementary School called for better methods of increasing the safety of those walking to and from school each day. Pushbutton activated red lights were installed as part of the project making the importance of this intersection more visible to motorists and emphasizing the requirement to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. 5