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CLOUDY Temp: 61 °F Wind: WNW at 5 mph Monday, September 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 13, 2003 Since You Asked Chip-sealing a good way to cut costsin road fixes Why do they lay down asphalt on some stretches of local roads while elsewhere they put down a rocky mixture. I drive on Rossanley Road and they’ve practically turned it into a gravel road and reduced the speed limit to 30 mph. I didn’t see anything particularly wrong with the road before. What gives? — Ralph S., Central Point Turning Rossanley into a temporary "gravel road" might be a nuisance, Ralph, but it’s one way government saves us taxpayers a few dollars. Unlike the typical paving process, which costs roughly $100,000 a mile, the Oregon Department of Transportation says it can "chip-seal" a road for about $15,000 a mile. Advertisement Chip-sealing, in which rock is spread over freshly laid asphalt oil, preserves the pavement for five to seven years, putting off the more expensive long-term solution. Why not chip-seal everything, you might ask? ODOT says that pavement is sometimes deteriorated so badly that a chip-seal wouldn’t do any good. And, chip-sealing doesn’t work everywhere. The process as you are well aware, Ralph, tends to be somewhat messy with fresh oil, loose and flying rock and slower speeds. Chip-sealing urban streets with curbs and gutters, very high traffic areas, or high- speed locations like the interstate is usually avoided. So the next time you drive over a chip-sealed road, even if you don’t appreciate the ride, you can appreciate the the tax dollars being saved. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times