Nye County moves to restart chip seal program

It’s been several years since Nye County has seen any new chip seal laid down on its roadways but the county is now ready to revive that program, with the 2020 chip seal list approved by the Nye County Commission at its Tuesday, Aug. 18 meeting.

The 2020 chip seal list is set to target nearly two dozen Pahrump roads in sore need of repair. According to information from the Nevada Department of Transportation, chip seal, “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.”

More simply put, it’s a maintenance technique that allows the county to extend the life of its streets without the enormous cost associated with conventional asphalt overlay.

There are 21 roads on the list approved on Aug. 18, which comprise a total of 11.43 miles. The list includes the following streets:

■ Whirlwind Avenue from Gamebird Road to Manse Road

■ Jackie Avenue from Gamebird Road to Manse Road

■ Windsong Lane from Barney Street to Murphy Street

■ Greyhound Street from Darcy Lane to Leslie Street

■ Van Lane from Barney Street to Murphy Street

■ Ramona Lane from Barney Street to Murphy Street

■ Fritz Lane from Barney Street to Murphy Street

■ Maple Road from Barney Street to Murphy Street

■ Shelly Lane from Barney Street to Murphy Street

■ Murphy Street from Maple Road to Charleston Park Avenue

■ Fox Avenue from Turner Blvd. to South End (where street ends)

■ Martin Avenue from Fox Avenue to Quarter Horse Avenue

■ Verde Avenue from Marion Miller Street to Labrador Street

■ Soplo Avenue from Marion Miller Street to Labrador Street

■ Savoy Blvd. from Jane Avenue to Quarter Horse Avenue

■ Bennett Street from Oakridge Avenue to Vicki Ann Road

■ Hafen Ranch Road from Thorne Drive to Superior Lane

■ Quail Run Road from Cabo Street to Warren Street

■ Blosser Ranch Road from Cabo Street to Alvin Street

■ Cabo Street from Bell Vista Avenue to Blosser Ranch Road

■ Linda Street from Mazzuka Avenue to Roadrunner Road

“The severely damaged sections of these roads will be pulverized by Nye County Public Works and prepared for a contractor to re-chip. The other chip seal roads on the list will be overlaid for pavement preservation. All intersections on this list will receive a double chip for longevity purposes,” information contained with the agenda item detailed.

It was also noted during the meeting that Linda Street from Mazzuka Avenue to Roadrunner Road will require an additional step before the chip sealing can proceed. Nye County Public Works Director Tim Dahl said he was in the process of reaching out to property owners along the stretch of Linda Street in question, in order to ask for authority to obtain county right of way. Harley Kulkin, who lives in the area and initiated the request for chip sealing on Linda Road, said he has spoken with most of those property owners and he felt very confident that they would be more than happy to provide the county with an easement in exchange for having what is currently a gravel road turned into a chip-sealed street.

“I’d like to think that it’s the plan of the Regional Transportation Commission and the Board of County Commissioners, once we dive back into a chip-seal program, that we will annually do this. Future chip-seal lists will be compiled,” Dahl explained as the item drew to a close.

The motion to approve the list and direct staff to prepare a bid package for the repair and overlay project passed with all in favor. Dahl noted that there will be quite a lot of work involved in preparing the roads for chip sealing but he and his crews will start that process as soon as possible, to make way for whichever contractor is ultimately selected to lay the chip seal.

Of course, there are many more roads in both Pahrump and the rest of Nye County that could benefit from the chip-seal program. Anyone interested in submitting a roadway for consideration in the next phase of the program can do so by filling out a Chip Seal Petition. The petitions can be found online at www.nyecounty.net by selecting “Public Works” under the “Departments” drop-down menu, followed by the “Public Works Documents” link listed under the “Fast Find” section.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com