Chip Sealing in Seattle

Updated May 16, 2008

2. Map for GRID 13B: Located in northeast Seattle (Cedar Park/ north Matthews Beach).
This grid is bounded on the north by NE 145 Street, on the south by NE 115 Street/ 35 Avenue NE/ NE 105 Street The western boundary is Lake City Way NE/ NE 115 Street/ 35 Avenue NE, and the eastern boundary is Lake Washington

Road Maintenance May 2008 notification:

STREET MAINTENANCE NEWS May, 2008 This summer, Seattle Dept. of Transportation (SDOT) will be in your neighborhood to do preventive maintenance on chip sealed streets. These streets were sealed about 10 years ago, and it is time to reseal them to prolong the life of the street surface. We are sending this notice to you if you live on one of these streets or live in the vicinity that might be affected by the project. If your street is paved with asphalt or concrete, we will not chip seal this street. To view a map of the streets that will be chip sealed this year, please refer to our web site: www.seattle.gov/transportation/chipseal.htm. If you do not have access to the web, you can call 206-396-3556. ♦ When? The actual chip seal operation occurs in the summer, usually in July. However prior to chip sealing, during the spring, the streets are inspected and crews make the necessary repairs to prepare for the chip seal process. Weather plays a crucial role in the success of the resealing project. ♦ Parking Parking will be restricted on the streets that will be chip sealed. “No Parking” signs will be placed along both sides of the streets on the day prior to the work so you can move your car from the street or shoulder. Parking restrictions are typically removed as soon as we’re done with the chip seal application. The application process is done within a day. ♦ Traffic Access Access to your driveway may be disrupted for a few minutes, but SDOT crews will assist in maintaining minimal delays. The new surface can be driven on almost immediately, but slow speeds are required. ♦ Caution Please drive slowly, no faster than 10 mph, on the new surface for the first several days. This will help allow the new surface to set and prevent the loosening of aggregate. MORE ABOUT CHIP SEAL… What is chip seal? A chip seal surface consists of an application of liquid asphalt followed by “rock chips” (ranging in size from 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch). Chip sealing is a commonly used preventive maintenance activity for non-arterial streets in many cities and counties. Sweeping After giving the new chip seal time to stabilize, our mechanical sweepers will sweep the streets within several days to remove excess loose rock. Why are some streets chip sealed? Chip sealing is a cost effective surface treatment used on 25% of Seattle’s non-arterial streets. Most of these streets were converted to chip seal in the 1960’s to provide a smooth driving surface on originally dirt or gravel roads, and to cut down on dust and improve air quality. Our street looks fine—why reseal it? Chip sealed streets need periodic resealing to protect them from the deteriorating effects of water (rain) and sun. In time, the surface becomes brittle and may crack. Periodic resealing will prevent more extensive and costly repairs. Regular maintenance is the most cost effective way to maintain streets. FOR MORE INFORMATION Please call Susan Almachar, Program Coordinator, at 206-396-3556, or send e-mail to: susan.almachar@seattle.gov. We will send you another notification before the chip seal work begins. We look forward to maintaining your street this summer! For Street Maintenance Division’s 24-hour emergencies, please call: 206-386-1218.

More about Chip Sealing

SDOT crews prepare deteriorated roads selected for the program. It is essential that damage to the road, such as potholes and cracks, be repaired prior to the chip-seal process.

The City of Seattle began converting dirt and gravel non-arterial streets to chip seal in 1967 with federal money available for this purpose. The goal was to reduce the release of dust and other pollutants into the air and improve air quality. Once the streets were originally chip sealed, the City continued to maintain them with local funds, resealing roads in a different area of the City each year.

Chip seal is an extremely cost efficient road surfacing product that economically provides a skid-resistant surface for almost one quarter of Seattle's nonarterial streets.

The chip seal process is relatively simple: First, an asphalt emulsion is applied to the previously repaired street surface and is immediately followed by a computer-operated chip spreader (this allows for a more accurate and even dispersion of chipped rock) which spreads chipped rock onto the emulsion. The rock is embedded in the emulsion by rollers. At this point, the road is ready for use. Unlike asphalt or concrete streets, chip-sealed streets can be driven on almost immediately after the surface is applied. However, we do ask that for the first few days cars drive no more than 10 miles per hour over the new surface. This will allow the rocks to set and reduce the chance of loose rock damage to your vehicle.

• Chip seal streets are resealed, weather and funds permitting, approximately every 10 years. Chip sealing is a cost-efficient surface treatment that lasts about 10 years, where traffic volumes are low and not used by heavy trucks or buses.
  
  
• The annual work uses about 4,000 tons of crushed rocks (about 266 dump-truck loads) and about 100,000 gallons of asphalt emulsion.
  
  
• The annual sealing process moves quickly.  The crews can cover up to three to four miles a day.

Check out our tip sheet! "Chip Sealing Your Streets - Helpful Tips."


Please call the SDOT Street Maintenance Division at 396-3556 for more information about chip sealing in your neighborhood.