A picture of a mountain

January 28, 2025 – A resolution was passed during today’s regular Board of County Commissioners meeting outlining efforts that will be made in the coming year to preserve El Paso County roadways.

The 2025 Asphalt Paving and Preservation Program details how operations within the Department of Public Works will address various road conditions and how they can ensure roadways remain safe and operational for the community. The purpose of the plan is to extend the life of paved roads through strategic preservation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction with a goal of optimizing the budget and improving the Pavement Condition Index (PCI).

A central focus of the program is an emphasis on the preservation of roads. Preservation is a proactive approach that focuses on maintaining and protecting existing road conditions, which is a cost-effective strategy to prevent further deterioration. Every $1 spent on preservation saves $6-10 on more expensive rehabilitation or reconstruction in the future.

“One of the valuable things about this program is it demonstrates our effort to be proactive in how we approach our roads program,” said Joshua Palmer, El Paso County Engineer. “These efforts will nearly double the life of a road and decrease the cost to maintain it by about 80 percent.”

Roads that are paved are still subject to wear from traffic and weather. Early intervention with preservation treatments maximizes the lifespan of a road by preventing small cracks or issues from becoming significant problems. This approach achieves a higher PCI and reduces the need for costly repairs in the future.

The Department of Public Works is utilizing advanced technologies like 3D profiling, LiDAR, and Ground Penetrating Radar to analyze actual roadway condition, optimize treatments, and prolong the life of each road. This use of technology, paired with practical applications of innovative treatments like cape seals and micro-surfacing, allows for better performance and durability of the road.

To learn more about the County’s paving operations, visit the Department of Public Works’ website.

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