Addressing months of complaints about potholes on Davison Road, members of the Common Council have drafted a resolution to hire a mill recycling contractor to rebuild the street this year.
Anita Mullane, 2nd Ward alderman, said that after receiving a presentation from Highway Rehabilitation Corp. of Alden last week, council members are in favor of trying a new approach to street repairs. Rebuilding Davison Road from East Avenue to Akron Street would serve as a demonstration of a different road reconstruction process that could produce better long-term results. Paving would still be done by the city highway department.
Since Highway Rehabilitation Corp. has performed work for Niagara County, Mullane said there is no requirement to put the project out to bid.
According to 4th Ward Alderman Kathryn Fogle, council president, the city has always needed to hire out road milling work because it doesn’t own the necessary equipment. Fogle said Highway Rehabilitation Corp. has worked on roads in the town of Lockport with positive results.
Former town highway superintendent Dave Miller, now a sales representative for Highway Rehabilitation Corp., said the company uses a process called hot in-place mill recycling. Using a “train” of specialized equipment, Miller said the company heats and softens the road and then scarifies, loosens, and shreds the pavement. A chemical rejuvenating agent is added to the shredded pavement so that it can be recycled on the spot. The road is then rolled and ready for the city to pave over.
To date, Miller said, the city has been “milling a layer off and putting a layer on.” Highway Rehabilitation Corp.’s process creates a 2-inch base that can be paved over, he said. The final result is a road that is 3-1/2 inches thick.
“Our process will give a thicker topping that will last longer,” Miller said. “It helps you spread the life out of the road longer, so it takes less money per year. We can help the city get a longer life from their pavement projects. They’ll never get ahead of the curve if they don’t get more life out of their projects.”
Miller said Highway Rehab did the milling work on Bowmiller, Keck and Harrington roads in the town, as well as Townline Road between Pendleton and Wheatfield, and Langdon Road in Lewiston.
The cost is approximately $90,000 per square mile.
“For the last seven to 10 years, the city has not been using the right materials, so the streets are not holding up,” 1st Ward Alderman John Craig said. “To some extent, it is the reason for the pothole issues we’re having.”
“It’s a process I don’t believe we’ve ever done in the city,” 5th Ward Alderman Margaret Lupo said. “They guarantee it for 10 years. It’s ridiculous that we keep doing the same things over again and expecting different results. We’ve got to find something different.”
Kevin Kirchberger, alderman at large, agreed. “We want to make sure it’s done right.”
Miller said if an approval comes in the next several weeks, the company could begin the work in the next two months. He said the north section of Davison Road would take four to five days, and then city crews could add a layer of pavement.