To Pave or Patch? That is the question.

MIAMI, FL (10/24/07) — As major Department of Transportation road spending dwindles in many states  -  streets and highways won’t be getting paved as often- so, where does that leave our major mode of transportation?

With the coffers going dry, many state and local municipalities will be forced to revert to maintenance of roads, aka, patching. Call it a band aid, fine, but something is better than nothing. Or is it? And, while it’s unfortunate that we wait for the economic cycles to dictate our policies for infrastructure repair - it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you don’t change the oil on your car, get the tires aligned, and take a periodic gander under the hood - eventually both you and your car will miss some work days. So, why are the streets any different? Well, they’re not.

Maintenance of roads. A bandaid on a road can be a good thing, but one needs to be selective about what is used. Most patches in urban markets that experience radical temperature swings, well, they usually don’t last past the day - just ask the cop on the corner beat, he’ll set the record straight. So, fixing them right is a challenge, otherwise, you’ll be back out there the next day - doing it again. Not good if you’re a mayor seeking re-election.

What are the choices?

We’ve come across some new technology (ok, maybe not that new), but new to us, that warrants more consideration when times are tough, and patching is the only thing you can afford. Cold asphalt technology has come a long ways, and a few companies are offering products that can withstand the rigors of the big city streets, in all weather, hot or cold, rain or shine. While the initial cost is higher, manufacturers claim that the city crews will be less taxed by freeing up equipment, and will be able to perform the repairs, even if the weather conditions are inclement. Moreover, these permanent asphalt cold mix products come with guarantees. So, when you do the math, it appears that there is some considerable savings, when one compares the labor and equipment expenses that accompany these fixes - when more temporary products, such as conventional cold mix or hot mix is used. I’m encouraged. Now, if they could just patch that pothole on in my subdivision - Now, that sounds like pothole relief.

Tags: asphalt patch, asphalt paving, pavement patch, paving maintenance