By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A contract for the 2021 Crack Sealing and Seal Coating Program in the City of Howell has been awarded.

The Howell City Council approved awarding the contract for the preventative maintenance work on city streets at a recent virtual meeting. The contract was awarded to the low bidder, Wolverine Sealcoating of Jackson, for a unit price of $1.10 per pound and in an amount not-to-exceed current budget amounts.

The City is required to operate a Pavement Asset Management Plan as part of Act 51 funding. The City currently rates roads using a PASER method and inputs that data into a program. The system uses a rating scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being poor and 10 being excellent, to help determine the proper treatment of maintenance for prolonging the life of the road. That data is then sent to SEMCOG and the State of Michigan for review and approval.

The treatment is typically done when a road is rated at a 6 through 9 and shows no other signs of degradation. The method of treatment applies sealant into the cracks formed on the road surface, which prevents water intrusion and the resulting compromising of the roadway due to freeze-thaw cycles. Officials say crack sealing of road surfaces at the proper time can prolong the life of pavement five years or longer than roads that are not treated.

The goal is to crack seal as many of the identified roads as possible while staying within budget. Any roads not completed this spring will be scheduled for work in the fall.

For the past several years, the City has partnered with other municipalities to achieve economies of scale for the work. This year, the City is partnering with the Village of Milford, City of Wixom, City of Farmington, City of Fenton, and the Village of Fowlerville.

More information is available in the Council meeting packet. That link is provided.