Rhododendron Drive Road Improvements

Road Improvements Scheduled for Rhododendron Drive Monday July 16th - Wednesday July 18th (Weather Permitting)
 

The City of Florence is continuing it's pavement preservation work with the application of a hot oil chip and fog seal on Rhododendron Drive from Lighthouse Way to Fawn View Lane. Chip sealing operations will begin Monday July 16, 2018, weather permitting, and continue through Wednesday July 18th.

Chip sealing is a common pavement maintenance practice that extends pavement life and provides good driving surface. With chip seals, a think film of heated asphalt liquid is sprayed on the road surface, followed by the placement of small aggregates ("chips"). The chips are compacted to orient them for maximum adherence to the asphalt, and excess stone is swept from the surface. A fog seal is then applied to further bind the chips to the asphalt liquid, protect the chip seal from UV rays and finish the road preservation. 

The City has completed four other chip seal projects in recent years. The first project was on Oak Street between 20th and 35th Streets. The second project was completed on Rhododendron Drive between 35th and Lighthouse Way; the third project was completed on 35th Street between Pine and Siano Loop; and last year Oak Street between 35th and 46th Streets. 

Due to product quality issue with the pigment (coloration) last summer, the City will be re-applying MicroCoat to the bike lanes along Oak Street between 35th and 46th Streets. MicroCoat is a micro seal coating system that will protect the bike lanes from degradation. MicroCoat was custom designed at a state-of-the-art laboratory in Portland, OR, specifically for the Pacific Northwest. It will provide a smoother surface for the bicyclists and pedestrians. 

MicroCoat is a specialty coating, designed for road surfaces that have signs of deterioration from years of service, as well as beautifying and preserving the existing asphalt. MicroCoat is a Polymer Modified Emulsion, specially formulated with the weather conditions of the Pacific Northwest in mind. We will be actually adding pigment to the MicroCoast to provide additional definition to the bike lane. The MicroCoat will dry to a rich patina color that will distinguish the bike lanes from the vehicle travel lanes, improving visibility and safety. 

As with any street construction project there will be slight delays during the chip and fog seal application along with the MicroCoat application. Residents are advised to use alternate routes to avoid the work area between July 16th - 18th. If you do need to travel in these corridors, please slow down, be patient and attentive to traffic control flaggers. 

For additional information regarding pavement preservation, please contact Public Works at 541-997-4106.