In an effort to boost the lifespan of their current roads, West Bountiful City has begun resurfacing tarmac on several streets.

“It’s the most cost effective way to keep your asphalt good,” said Public Works Director Steve Maughan. “If you can keep neighborhoods clean and keep the road’s rideability nice – keep them nice and black – not only does it make everybody feel better about where they live and what they’re driving, but it saves wear and tear and maintenance on cars because your roads are smoother.”

A project being overseen by two companies, the city is working to preserve their best roads while seeking out options to rebuild older roads. West Bountiful has budgeted $125,000 for resurfacing, and is currently set to pay the two companies a combined total of $118,731.06 for the work, according to a city council agenda from July 16.

From Aug. 27-30, select roads were closed off for a period of 24 hours and seal coated – a process that smooths surfaces. During that time, residents were asked to park on the curbs of adjacent streets. Maughan says that certain roads will also be closed off during either the first or second week of September for slurry sealing, which will improve rideability and protect against wear.

“It certainly is inconvenient for people for a 24 hour period, but in the long run, it should make the road live and last a lot better, keep us from doing a whole bunch of patchwork on their roads [and] make them ride smoother,” said Maughan. 

West Bountiful plans to prioritize the preservation of new asphalt before working on older roads – a tactic designed to limit the amount of rebuild projects needed in the future. Some streets will also receive warranty work from one of the two companies.

“The idea is to preserve your existing asphalt,” Maughan said. “It keeps them from oxidizing and, you know, the oils bake out and everything else when they’re not sealed right. Water penetrates down into the asphalt, which is going to break the asphalt up, and you get pot holes and stuff from water being able to penetrate the asphalt, so if you can seal it, it really helps you on that.”

According to Maughan, the lifespan of a road is generally 20 years, and it’s recommended that new tarmac is sealed one year after it’s paved. Seal coating projects are typically done during warmer months such as July and August when surface temperatures are hot, while slurry coating can be done in more mild conditions.

Roads that the project benefits include Porter Lane, 800 North and 1950 West. West Bountiful published a map for their work in their July 16 city council agenda on page 47.

Though the city is currently focused on maintaining their best roads, West Bountiful plans to carry out full re-builds on streets like 660 West as well as more aggressive treatment projects on roads such as 1200 North.

“If you look at cost per square foot of road, it’s the cheapest way to keep your roads good,” Maughan said. “It’s considerably cheaper than not doing anything with your roads, waiting until they die, and then trying to tear them out and rebuild them.”