Summertime ... and town roads get resurfaced

Warwick — You have probably seen the slow-moving oil-spreading trucks followed by the stone spreading trucks on several town roads over the last week and should continue to see them next week as well. The Town of Warwick Department of Public Works crews are out in force resurfacing roads again this summer — using the popular tar and chip method. Travelers on 13 town roads are asked to slow down for a few weeks as the crushed stone becomes one with the sticky tar, giving drivers a new surface for the next five or so years. Given the chance of rain for later in the week, Assistant DPW Superintendent Ben Astorino said the jobs probably won’t be completed until next week. “We can’t do it in the rain,” said Astorino. “But we are hoping to be done next week.” What happens is hot oil or tar is spread evenly on the road surface. Then a truck with chipped 3/8 stone is applied at a specific rate covering the entire hot surface. A roller is used to press the chips into the surface. Any missed spots are filled in by hand. The surface is durable and ready to ride on immediately. Only thing is some stones will kick up as you drive at least for a couple of weeks so Astorino recommends that drivers slow down on these roads. “Drive a little slower for a few weeks to let the stones set,” he said. “Signs are clearly posted telling drivers that the road has recently been resurfaced. Just take it easy for a while.” Technology though has made even this more advanced. A new polymer allows the stones to stick to the oil quicker than in years past. So instead of dealing with loose stone for a month drivers will see smoother quieter roads in a lot less time. While the tar and chip method of resurfacing is used on most roads throughout the town, there are some instances where hot mixed asphalt is used instead. The benefits of tar and chip include the cost. It can be less than half the cost of asphalt. It also requires less maintenance since no sealing is involved. Some Web sites note that sloped roads or driveways are served better by this method rather than asphalt since the stones provide better traction, especially when the surface is slick from rain or ice. Also with asphalt there is usually a waiting period before you can drive on it. Not so with tar and chip. You can use it immediately. Astorino said a few roads in town were recently resurfaced with asphalt for different reasons. Asphalt was used on Cascade Road from Route 17A up to the lake because of the amount of traffic on that road which is used by many commuters. Also Old Tuxedo Road and Kain Road were resurfaced with asphalt. Asphalt was used on Kain Road, according to Astorino, because of the steep slope. While tar and chip provides traction, Kain Road is so steep that the stones do not adhere in the first place. The town has a schedule for its resurfacing program. Most roads are redone every five years but that varies based on the amount of traffic on a given road. “We try to catch roads that need to be done,” Astorino noted. “If there is excessive traffic on the road, it will need to be done more often.” Last week, the Town of Warwick completed the resurfacing on East Shore Road and Harvest Circle. This week work began on: • Upper Wisner Road • Mountain View Drive in Wickham Village • DeKay Road • Feagles Road • Iron Mountain Road • Wawayanda Road • Vik Drive off Black Rock Road • Kings Ridge • Minturn Road • Walling Road and • Sunrise Ridge Road.