Road maintenance is underway as of the week of September 9, as the Kanab Roads Department begins chip seal treatment of most of the Ranchos roads, as well as a handful of roads around the old golf course, Country Estates and E 1100 South. Roadwork began with the south portions of the Ranchos and is moving north, with no specific timeframe for when which roads will be treated.
Photo courtesy of Kanab City.
A video shared by the city on social media states chip sealing is one of the most economical treatments municipalities have access to for roads, costing a fraction of what a full asphalt treatment would. The video states, “while chip sealing can be a short-term nuisance, it is the most economical use of taxpayer dollars.” While chip seal is safe to drive on, and in fact extra traffic will help the chip seal cure faster, there are some best practices for avoiding some of the minor vehicular damage possible from flying chips after a seal:
• Watch your speed. Not only can flying chips launched by fast moving vehicles nick or ding other cars, very fresh chip seal can reduce traction in some situations like high-speed turns.
• Keep your distance from other vehicles. Loose chips can be sent flying by cars rolling over them, but they lose momentum quickly over distance - a few extra feet between you and a vehicle in front of you can mean the difference between a small nick in the windshield and a chunk requiring replacement.
• Keep to your lane and watch lane changes and passing. Chips have a tendency to fly at an outward trajectory from tires, meaning they’re more likely to strike vehicles that are at an angle behind the vehicle launching them. Minimizing time spent at an angle to approaching vehicles or vehicles ahead can lower the risk of chip damage. None of the roads planned for this seal have passing lanes, so that shouldn’t be a major concern.
• Avoid parking cars or putting other valuables near the roads during sealing. Even if your street isn’t being actively sealed, if you’re on the map, try to find a place other than the side of the road to park cars and trailers in case crews end up working roads before you have a chance to move. Chips are less likely to do damage to stationary objects, but it’s not impossible for a passing car to fling a chip off the road.
Kanab City crews say the sealing schedule should be done within a week or two and express their gratitude for the cooperation of the public while this important road maintenance is underway.
