The Town of The Blue Mountains would like to advise the public that surface treatment road work will be conducted on various rural and urban roads beginning in late July. Partial lane closures will be in effect during construction. Work is anticipated to be completed by mid-August.
Road surface treatment will occur on:
- Pretty River Road
- 10th Line between Grey Road 13 and 9th Sideroad
- 10th Line between Russell Street and 30th Sideroad
- 30th Sideroad between 10th Line and The Blue Mountains - Meaford Townline
- The Blue Mountains - Meaford Townline between Highway 26 and 30th Sideroad
- 33rd Sideroad between Duncan Street and The Blue Mountains - Meaford Townline
Residents are asked to reduce speeds on roads that have recently been treated to help lessen the disturbance of the roadway.
The Town utilizes surface treatment paving on many rural roads with low to medium traffic volumes as a more cost-effective and durable alternative to asphalt concrete paving. The maintenance of surface-treated roads occurs every 5-7 years between May and September. To learn more, visit the Road Maintenance webpage.
For more information, please contact:
Town of The Blue Mountains
Operations Department
(519) 599-3131 ext. 276
What is Tar and Chip?
Tar and chip roads look similar to asphalt concrete roads but have some differences. Both pavement surfaces use asphalt cement bitumen (Tar) and Aggregates (Chip). Asphalt concrete road surfaces are mixed in a central plant and shipped to the road site hot and mixed for paving. This type of paving is cost prohibitive for smaller rural municipalities such as The Blue Mountains. “Tar and Chip” pavement involves evenly applying hot asphalt cement tar onto a roadway, followed by an even layer of angular aggregate stones which is rolled into place. The stones are further compacted and pushed into the asphalt cement tar over time by the traffic on the roadway. As a result for a period of weeks or months following the application of Tar and Chip to a roadway, there is some loose crushed stone on top of the road surface. The road will eventually resemble the asphalt concrete roads in higher traffic areas after a period of time dependent on the heat of summer and the volume of traffic.
What can you expect?
On roads that have been previously treated, one layer of tar and chip will be applied (single surface treatment). Roads which are being newly paved will receive two successive layers of tar and chip (double surface treatment). Town road maintenance staff may sweep the road several weeks or months following the initial application of tar and chip to reduce the loose stone. The brief periods of inconvenience will be followed by a road surface similar to an asphalt concrete road for periods of 5-7 years.
What can you do?
When your road has been recently paved using tar and chip technology, residents are requested to not sweep the road during the period when the chip is loose, as sweeping may result in a poor wearing surface and an unsafe road condition. The most helpful thing you can do is reduce your vehicle’s speed. This will help to reduce the disturbance of stone on the roadway to ensure a clean even surface as well as minimizing dust from the road. Be a good neighbour – slow down.