Chip Seal Information

Chip Seal is a coating of hot emulsified oil that is sprayed at a specific distribution rate, followed by a layer of chipped rock spread over the top.

Chip Seal is most effective under the following conditions:

• Temperature: 50 degrees Fahrenheit and rising.
• Cloud Cover: None.
• Wind Speed: 10 mph or less.
• Weather: Sunny or mostly sunny days to facilitate oil curing.

To carry out Chip Seal effectively, a dedicated team is needed, comprising the following roles:

• Operators: Run the chip spreader and load trucks.
• Truck Drivers: Transport chips to the chip spreader.
• Roller Operators: Compact chipped rock into the hot oil.
• Flaggers: Control traffic, ensuring team safety and managing flow.
• Cover Crew: Cover and uncover manholes and water valve lids for future access.
• Supervisors: Provide guidance, document project aspects, and address issues as they arise.

The chips are spread at a rate of 18 lbs per square yard, covering approximately 600 feet per minute.

Cul-de-sacs and radius areas are addressed after completing the main streets. This approach ensures efficiency and cost savings for taxpayers. Please be patient, as we will return to complete these areas as soon as possible.

Asphalt oxidizes and deteriorates over time with exposure. Chip sealing protects and weatherproofs the road surface, greatly extending the life of the pavement for a small fraction of the cost to mill and repave the street. We simply do not have the budget to overlay all City streets.

Chip Sealing serves two primary purposes:

• Lifespan Extension: It significantly prolongs the life of roads.
• Enhanced Winter Driving: The process provides an additional surface layer, contributing to improved road conditions during winter.

Call and request permission to park in a public parking lot, gas station, etc.

This indicates that we will be in your area within 24-48 hours, and vehicles in violation will be towed at the owner’s expense.

You can resume using the road immediately after the crew has passed through with the rollers.

Please be patient as the sweeping process takes time. Rest assured, we will sweep all areas where chip sealing has been performed.

Yes, the City hires a contractor to place a fog coat on local residential streets about a month or two after the chip seal is completed.  The fog coat is a thin black asphalt emulsion that is sprayed on top of the completed chip seal.  It locks chips in place and extends the life of the chip seal.  We don’t typically apply fog coat to collector or arterial streets, as they have enough traffic on them to seat the chips properly and prevent loss of chips.

If streets are new (less than 5 years old) or have been overlaid in the past 5 years, we will likely skip those streets, and chip seal them when we come back to that area in 10 more years.

Tarps are not required if the chips are 6 inches below the edge of the bed.

If you receive a "No Parking" sign on a Friday, chip sealing in your area is scheduled for the following Monday.

For Downtown areas, "No Parking" signs will be placed on Mondays, and chip sealing is scheduled to occur on the subsequent Tuesday.