City Rolls Out 250-Block Road Resurfacing Project
For immediate release: November 4, 2014
Contact: Rachel Gordon, 415-554-6045
San Francisco, CA – Crews got to work this week resurfacing more than 250 blocks over the next two months to make the City’s roads smoother for all users.
San Francisco Public Works’ contractors will be applying a thin layer of micro-surface on top of the existing asphalt pavement to prolong the life of the roadway. The work on each block typically takes one to two days to complete. Micro-surfacing, as the process is known, protects the existing surface from the effects of natural aging, rain and sun. Prior to resurfacing a street, crews seal any cracks on the roadway.
Last year the City resurfaced a record 913 blocks, due in large part to funding from the 2011 voter-approved $248 million Road Repaving and Street Safety Bond.
“We have been making great progress improving our streets, with more than 1,700 blocks resurfaced in the last two years,” said San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. “Having safe and smooth roads for motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and transit users is a priority for our residents and one that the City is committed to delivering.”
The condition of the pavement is tracked by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a regional funding and planning agency. The Pavement Condition Index assigns blocks a score from a low of zero for the most deteriorated streets to a high of 100 for a freshly paved block. Each of the City’s 12,884 blocks is evaluated based on ride quality, cracking and signs of deterioration. San Francisco, which now has an average rating of 66, has shown steady improvement in the past several years.
A Pavement Condition Index score of 85-100 is rated as “excellent,” 64-84 “good,” 50-63 “fair,” and 0-49 “poor.” About half of San Francisco’s blocks are rated at good or excellent condition.
More details on the micro-surfacing project, including parking and traffic restrictions, work hours and the micro-surfacing process, can be found by visiting our website at www.sfdpw.org/microsurface .
