FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                               July 16, 2010

City introduces new road repaving method

(Friday, July 16, 2010) --- Mayor Mufi Hannemann today unveiled a new road repaving technique that will be faster to apply, durable, improve driving conditions, and reduce the use of heavy equipment for paving.

The method is called slurry seal, which is a mixture of aggregate, asphalt, fillers, and water, mixed according to design specifications.  Slurry seal’s composition will allow the repaving of a road in a single pass that will fill small cracks and voids and create a weather-proof seal.  The final surface will improve skid resistance and handling characteristics for motorists.

Mayor Hannemann said, “We’ve spent tens of millions of dollars to rehabilitate and repave roads across the island, including budgeting $77 million for repaving the last two fiscal years and again this year.  We’ve paved over 800 lane miles of streets the past five years.  Yet, because of our total reliance of personal vehicles, trucks, and buses for our transportation needs, our roads take a beating.  We expect this slurry seal method to enable us to maintain our roads for longer periods of time, thereby reducing costs and the intervals between full-depth repaving.”

            Industry figures estimate that slurry seal, which is considered a preventative maintenance measure, costs up to $65,000 per lane mile (one mile long by 10 feet wide).  By comparison, traditional repaving methods cost $150,000 per lane mile.  One California study pegged slurry seal to extend the life of road paving three to five years.  The longevity of the slurry seal is dependent on the condition of the road on which it’s used.

            The method is also being billed as “green.”  Slurry seal reduces the need for heavy equipment to remove old asphalt, cuts energy used to produce hot asphalt, and requires only two vehicles to apply.

            The slurry seal will be used on roads in Kapahulu, Diamond Head, Aina Haina, Aikahi Park, Kaneohe, and Honokai Hale.

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Contact:

Bill Brennan, 768-6928