Street Maintenance
Public Works performs minor asphalt repairs to Village roadways when small or isolated pavement failures occur. The freeze-thaw cycles in northern Illinois can cause potholes, cracking and heaving that if addressed early can prolong the service life of the pavement. Large failures are prioritized and scheduled through contractual assignment or included in the Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) program.
The Village utilizes Illinois Motor Fuel Tax to complete road reconstruction on a bi-annual year rotation. These funds are used to make necessary, full-depth-reconstruct repairs to sidewalks, curbs, roadways, and storm infrastructures. Public Works uses a state-of-the-art Road Surface Tester that evaluates pavement cracking, rutting, and roughness. This system also evaluates the condition of the surface layer, binder layer, and sub-grade to better analyze the condition of the roads. This process assigns a Pavement Condition Indicator (PCI), the data is analyzed, and then the roads are prioritized for repairs.
In addition to full-depth reconstruction, Public Works utilizes other measures to keep the roads in service. This may include mill-and-overlay, full-depth spot patching, pavement patching, slurry seal, and crack sealing.
A mill-and-Overlay only removes the surface layer only of the asphalt. This is usually performed on original roads that do not show fatigue on the binder layer or sub-grade. Some minor repairs to curb and storm inlets are performed prior to a mill-and-overlay. This type of project is generally completed in 3 – 4 days and extends the life of a road by 10 -15 years, and prevents major reconstruction. This work is performed through contractual bidding.
Overtime, asphalt roads deteriorate due to vehicular travel, rain, snow, and ice. Deterioration may occur in the form of alligator cracking or separating from the surface layer. As the cracks continue to form, water will wick through the cracks and cause further damage. These areas are marked by Public Works for removal and replacement through contractual bidding. Once selected, the contractor will cut out a square or rectangular outline of the patching area, excavate the deteriorated pavement, and backfill the outline with new asphalt.
Similar to a full-depth spot patching, the surface layer is beginning to show stress but has not reached the binder layer. These sections of the road can be removed in the early signs of failing and are generally performed in-house by Public Works staff. Once a section of the road has been identified, a portion of the surface layer is removed to 1 1/2 inches with new materials applied and compacted.
Asphalt crack sealing is an important step to take for the maintenance of asphalt surfaces because it helps to prevent larger maintenance projects down the road. Crack sealing is the process of placing an adhesive sealant into cracks on the pavement surface, preventing the infiltration of moisture and non-compressible materials into the pavement. Roads are evaluated annually for crack sealing, with resurfaced roads taking priority. This work is performed annually through contractual bidding.
Pavement markings are used to convey messages to roadway users. They indicate which part of the road to use, provide information about conditions ahead, and indicate where passing is allowed. An evaluation of the current road markings is performed annually and replaced as needed and meets the requirements of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
In our efforts to keep debris from entering the stormwater collection system along curbed roads, Public Works uses contractual services to perform street sweeping a minimum of four times a year.