Chip sealing of county roads starts July 15

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Boulder County’s Transportation Maintenance Division will begin annual chip seal work on county roadways on Monday, July 15. The work will take place from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and is expected to last three weeks, weather permitting. A complete list of roads is available at the bottom of this release and on the county website.

Chip sealing work consists of applying asphalt to a road surface followed by a layer of one-quarter inch chips that essentially create a new layer on top of the road. A week after the chips are applied, crews return to the area to apply a sealant designed to help the chips adhere to the road. This work is followed by roadway striping operations.

To aid in cycling safety and to help create a smoother ride, Boulder County uses a smaller chip size than is typically applied on other nearby roads that are not maintained by Boulder County Transportation. The smaller chip creates a smoother surface and reduces wear and tear on bicycles.

Boulder County Transportation encourages motorists and cyclists to avoid unnecessary travel on the following roads on days that the chip application and sealing operations are taking place as there may be travel delays. The roads to be chip sealed include:

• 81st Street
• 51st Street
• Niwot Road
• 65th Street
• St. Vrain Road
• Hygiene Road
• Quail Road
• East County Line Road
• Oxford Road
• 75th Street
• Woodland Drive
• 95th Street
• Yellowstone Road
• 97th Street
• North 83rd StreetOverland Road west of Jamestown to Bark Ranch

Chip sealing operations are part of the county’s primary network roadway rehabilitation plan. The process is intended to extend the lifespan of the roadway and postpone larger reconstruction efforts that would require more expensive work and longer travel restrictions. Primary network county roads are typically chip sealed every six to eight years.

While Boulder County Transportation Maintenance strives to complete all projects on-time, work is weather dependent and there may be delays due to rain or other unfavorable working conditions.

For more information on the work, visit the project webpage, or contact Andrew Barth at [email protected] or call 303-441-1032.