Agenda - Public Works Committee - 07/19/2005

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CASE #~3 CONSIDER OPTIONS FOR IMPROVING ELMCREST PARK ROAD By: Steven Jankowski, City Engineer Background: Access to Elmcrest Park is being provided by a class 5 roadway extension from the Quicksilver Street. Park use has increased with regular use of the athletic fields and there is significant traffic which is now utilizing this access road. The road has not been paved due to the fact that future development is anticipated adjacent to it and its final alignment may change to some degree. However, because of complaints regarding dust and washboarding, it is desirable to consider some improvement to alleviate these conditions. Staff has researched several such alternatives which might be considered: C~dcium Chloride. One option for addressing dust control is the application of a calcium chloride. This chemical draws moisture from the air which is drawn into the road material and provides effective dust control. One application provides adequate dust control for the season. The moisture in the road bed also keeps the surface firm and minimizes washboarding and the need for regrading. The cost of an outside contractor to provide the chemical application is $1,650. Sea/coating. A second option for providing dust control which also provides a hard si. ltl'ace would be to sealcoat the existing class 5 roadway. This method is similar to that used lbr the sealcoating of the City's bituminous pavement, however it also includes the application of a bituminous emulsion primer which is incorporated into the surface prior to the sealcoating. The resulting hard surface is thin bituminous crust which has a durability that is highly dependant on the quality of the underlying base. A good quality base will allow this surface to provide years of service. The cost of an outside contractor to provide the materials and equipment for the primer and the sealcoating is $4,100. Wear lift bituminous coarse. A third option would be the placement ora two inch lift of bituminous wear course over the existing class 5 graded road. This option is most similar to the standard City road specification except that it eliminates the two inch bituminous base course. It should be quite durable and would tolerate weak base sections much better than the sealcoating. The cost of this work is $15,200. Recommendation: The recommendation among the three options presented above is highly dependant upon the length of time this park road will be in use. Utilizing the assumption that the area adjacent to this road way will develop in three to five years, it seems safe to be able to eliminate the bituminous wear course from consideration as it would not provide a reasonable payback. Staff therefore recommends that the sealcoating or calcium chloride options be selected dependant on how quickly the areas adjacent to the road are 29