Beginning Saturday, July 11th, construction crews and equipment are scheduled to begin the work of renewing Professional Park Drive between Live Oak Street (US 70) and Calhoun Street. The work is expected to take about 7 days but will ultimately be dependent upon the weather and as such, could start and/or end later than anticipated.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK
The rehabilitation of Professional Park Drive will involve a technique where the existing asphalt pavement, the underlying base that supports the pavement, and some of the subgrade below the base are uniformly pulverized and blended to form a new, homogenous base course. This type of recycling provides an environmentally friendly option as only a portion of the existing road base materials need to be removed. The rehabilitated base will also be stiffer and stronger than a more typical, “unbound” granular base. A stiffer base reduces deflections due to traffic loads, which results in lower strains in the asphalt surface. This delays the onset of surface distress, such as fatigue cracking, and extends pavement life.
The initial work will involve grinding up the pavement and underlying base that supports the pavement. This grinding will be repeated until there are little to no lumps present. Thereafter, a portion of the mixed material will be removed and hauled away for proper disposal or use as fill at another project. The surface of the mixed material remaining onsite will then be graded to generally conform to the final shape of the street. Thereafter, cement will be mixed into the material. The resulting mixture will then be wetted and compacted. Numerous passes will be made by the compactor to ensure even compaction and to attain the required density of the treated base.
After the rehabilitated base is fully compacted, it will be allowed to set for a day or more while also being wetted periodically. During this time, the base will go on “curing” whereby it will continue to gain strength. Asphalt paving will start after the curing period and is expected to last one to two days.
WHAT TO EXPECT
There will be periods during the work where only one lane will be open for vehicular traffic. During these times, flaggers will be on scene to direct traffic. There will also be a period of one or more days, between completion of the base stabilization and paving. Again, this “resting period” will allow the base to continue to set-up and strengthen. During this time, the ride through the area may be a bit bumpy. Lower vehicle bodies and wheel wells may become slightly soiled, particularly during and immediately after rains.
HOW TO PREPARE
Please avoid parking vehicles on Professional Park Drive until the work is complete. Please also remove all obstructions from the street such as basketball goals, trash cans, etc.