$500k in chip sealing set for Pahrump roadways

In August of this year, Nye County commissioners gave the green light to resurrect the county’s long-dormant chip sealing program and with approval of a list of selected roads granted and the construction contract officially awarded, the 2020 Chip Seal Program is now ready to roll.

During their Monday, Nov. 16 meeting, commissioners awarded the chip seal contract to American Pavement Systems, Inc., a company based out of Modesto, California, in the amount of $497,980.

This was the lowest bid received, with two other bids coming in, one from Wulfenstein Construction Company at $665,677 and another from Intermountain Slurry Seal, Inc. for $857,768.

There were 21 roads on the list of selected streets for the 2020 Chip Seal Program as approved by commissioners on Aug. 18, encompassing nearly 12 miles of roadway. Nye County Public Works crews were tasked with readying these roads for the contractor, with the severely damaged portions to be pulverized and those that consist of nothing but gravel to be surface prepped as well.

American Pavement Systems will lay the chip seal, which, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation, “consists of a uniform spray application of an asphalt binder followed by a uniform application of a graded cover coat aggregate which is then rolled with pneumatic tire rollers over a properly prepared surface.” All intersections addressed as part of the contract are to be double chipped, for longevity purposes.

The only roadway originally approved for the 2020 Chip Seal Program that will not see chip sealing as part of the upcoming work is Linda Street from Mazzuka Avenue to Roadrunner Road, which is currently a gravel road.

Area resident Harley Kulkin lives near to and specifically requested the chip sealing for Linda Street. Despite assurances from Kulkin that the property owners on that road would be more than willing to give the county the right of way necessary to chip seal the road, Nye County Public Works Director Tim Dahl said this did not prove true. Through his conversations with those property owners, Dahl said he learned that they would prefer the road to stay as is rather than dedicating right of way to the county.

That doesn’t mean Linda Street will never see a layer of chip seal, however. Dahl noted that he had already submitted paperwork to the Bureau of Land Management requesting right of way in the area so that chip sealing could be done in the future. Approval of that application would likely take time, though, Dahl said, so he wanted to leave Linda Street until said approval had been secured.

The work is to be completed within 60 days of the notice to proceed date, unless weather becomes an issue, in which case a no-cost time extension may be granted by the county.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com