Ada County Highway District crews are wrapping up another successful chip seal season in Ada County.
This year, crews completed 302 lane miles of roadway, focused on Zone 3, which covers Kuna and southern Ada County.
Crews also chip sealed Bogus Basin Road from Curling Drive to the county line, and Shoshone Street in Boise from Rose Hill to Overland Road.
"Despite this year's supply chain challenges, along with the record-breaking heat, our crews worked efficiently and effectively to get the job done," said Jennifer Berenger, Deputy Director of Maintenance and Operations. "The communication and teamwork of our crew members made for another successful season."
Next year, chip seal crews will focus on Maintenance Zone 4, which covers areas in Boise. Crews also plan to chip seal Bogus Basin Road from the county line to the resort parking lot.
"I was so impressed to see first-hand what it takes to complete such an intricate operation," said Commission President Mary May, who had the opportunity to ride along with the chip seal team earlier this year. "The coordination between the crew members is extraordinary. They do incredible work each summer to ensure Ada County roads are in good shape for years to come."
Chip sealing is a cost-effective way to extend the life of a roadway. Roads naturally break down as the oil in the road starts to oxidize. Traffic, weather and weight also break the roads down, eventually causing cracks and deterioration. By applying the 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.
Chip sealing in Ada County is broken down into seven zones, and crews typically work on one zone each year. Crews chip seal all arterial and collectors in the zone, and half of the residential roads in that zone. Arterial and collector roads are scheduled for chip sealing every seven years, while residential roads are chip sealed every 14 years.
To chip seal, crews first apply a filler into cracks to keep water from seeping into the base. Sweepers remove debris from the road, then a distributor truck lays down oil. A spreader box drops down the chips. Pneumatic rollers, along with local traffic, help push the chips down as the emulsion hardens. Once hardened, sweeper trucks remove the loose chips and crews apply a fog seal over the road. Lastly, paint crews restripe the roadway.