Harford County's public works department will try to better protect its roads this summer by using a maintenance technique called "microsurfacing" to cover about 41 miles of roads throughout the county.
Jeff Stratmeyer, the county's chief highways engineer, explained at a Fallston Community Council meeting last month that microsurfacing covers the road surface to extend the life of the blacktop and will be done largely in the areas of Fallston, Aberdeen and Abingdon.
To extend their life, blacktop roads must be sealed in much the same way that blacktop driveways are sealed, according to a county press release.
"This rejuvenates the aging pavement and helps protect it from the degenerative effects of water that ultimately causes potholes through the freeze/thaw cycle," the press release said.
The project will take place over the next few months and affected residents will be notified by letter.
Stratmeyer said Tuesday the entire project will cost $3 million, about one-third the cost of a bituminous concrete, or "blacktop," overlay.
He said the county ultimately hopes to seal its more than 646 miles of asphalt roads.
The county has been doing microsurfacing for 10 to 12 years, he said. It is also used throughout the state.
Residents are advised that the initial microsurfaced road will not be quite as smooth as blacktop, and some stones may become loose while the product cures.
The contractor is required to address this by sweeping the road about 10 days after the material is installed.
Microsurfacing is also an asphalt product that is expected to extend the pavement's life by five to seven years.
The material "works exceptionally well for low volume roads like subdivisions with aging pavements," Stratemyer wrote in a letter to residents. "While slightly more expensive than a slurry seal or a tar & chip, it produces a far better product."
Residents should contact project engineer Glen Hebel, gchebel@harfordcountymd.gov, or project manager Tim Dorbit, tgdorbit@harfordcountymd.gov, at 410-638-3509 if they have questions.