Curry County saves their river road in shady, cool conditions thanks to the next evolution in Chip and Fog Seal Treatments.
- 75% annual savings versus complete repaving methods
- 900% increase in amount of road treated per minute
Backstory
The South Bank Chetco River Road in Curry County, Oregon sits near the Southwest corner of the Pacific coast. The road in question is in a constant battle with the elements, and budget limitations made a complete repave an unrealistic solution, leaving a specialized approach to Chip and Fog Sealing as the best option.
Problem
The River Road sits three miles off the coast, under a canopy of trees. Their initial chip seal was ineffective, as the emulsion required the road surface temperature to be 70 degrees or above to effectively seal and protect the roadways, which environmental conditions simply would not allow. As the roads worsened, due to the lack of sunlight, proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the summer fog belt, Curry County needed an affordable, effective solution to battle the elements and protect the road from further deterioration.
At the onset, this was set to be a particularly challenging project. However, after it was finished the Road Engineering Department confirmed, it ended up being one of the best chip seals our department had ever performed.
Richard Christensen
Roadmaster, Curry County Oregon
Solution
In 2018, the town turned to Albina Asphalt to provide a specialized approach to chip sealing, using RS-LTP (A Rapid-Set Low Temperature, Polymer-Modified Anionic Emulsion), which can be applied at road surface temperatures as low as 40 degrees. This emulsion breaks chemically from the bottom up, and so does not require sunlight or heat to “break”-- making it the ideal emulsion for River Road’s shady conditions. Once applied, the chip seal treatment filled cracks and provided a better driving surface on the road.
The three mile span was completed on August 8, 2018, taking only two days for the Chip Seal and one day for the Fog Seal. Two full winter cycles after completion, the South Bank Chetco River Road continues to hold up well, and is expected to last for a full decade through a variety of adverse weather conditions before additional treatments are needed.
Photos
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Chip seal in process
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Chip seal in process
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End product
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Freshly applied emulsion
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