Alternative accessible formats of this information will be provided upon request by contacting the ADA Coordinator in the Human

Resources and Occupational and Safety Division, P.O. Box 201001, Helena, MT 59620; (406) 444-9229; fax (406) 444-7243, or e-mail to aflesch@mt.gov. Those using a TTY may call (800) 335-7592 or

through the Montana Relay Service at 711.

This document is printed at state expense. Information on the cost of producing this publication may be obtained

by contacting the Department of Administration.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VISION ZERO AT http://www.mdt.mt.gov/visionzero

STILL HAVE QUESTIONSABOUT PAVEMENT PRESERVATION

PROJECTS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Contact Melissa Shannon at 406-422-2922 or email melissas@strategies360.com.

We’ll connect you to the right resource to answer your question.

People often ask why the Montana Department of Transportation resurfaces roads that are in decent condition, instead of working on the roads that are in much worse shape. Believe it or not, there is logic behind this decision.

WHY DOESN’T MDT DO ALL ROAD CONSTRUCTION AT NIGHT?

This spring and summer, you might see road construction crews working overnight instead of during the day. After most folks have settled at home in the evening, roads are being improved with minimal disruption to the traveling public.

But, not all road work can be completed at night. Due tocooler nighttime temperatures, only some projects can be completed at night. Safety, noise, and cost are all factored in when determining which projects should be done at night. Night projects can be more costly, and cause disruptions in heavily residential neighborhoods.

Regardless of the time of day, driving safely in work zones is crucial. Remember to…

SLOW DOWN: Decreased speeds are in effect 24-hours a day in all construction zones. Recommended speeds vary by project type, so pay careful attention to signage as you enter work zones!

BE CAUTIOUS: Crews may be working on site during any hours of the day. Crews working on these projects are our neighbors, family members and friends. With decreased visibility at night, the folks working the road can be harder to see.

BE KIND: Younger drivers and visitors might not be as comfortable in work zones.

Night work is one way MDT works to keep good roads good with minimal inconvenience to motorists. Use cautionin these work zones and help everyone get home safe, whether your day ends at 5 p.m. or 6 a.m.

KEEPING GOOD ROADS GOOD: PRESERVING MONTANA’S ROADS

MDT performs preventative maintenance around the state.Just like regularly changing your car’s oil, you’ll see Montana Department of Transportation crews and contractors working to protect pavement with regularly scheduled maintenance projects.

Keeping good roads in good shape makes more sense than putting all resources towards roads that have fallen into serious disrepair.

Preventative maintenance, known as “pavement preservation,” helps ensure that good roads remain good, and don’t fall into

Pavement preservation is an umbrella term that covers a range of different techniques used to keep good roads in good condition. Some of the most common techniques are:

CRACK SEALING: Just like it sounds, this means filling up minor cracks in the pavement with a sealant. Crack sealing is a minimally invasive and basic step of most larger pavement preservation jobs.

MICROSURFACING: Microsurfacing is the application of a very thin layer of asphalt onto a roadway. It sets quickly.

CHIP SEAL:A chip seal consists of a layer of asphalt laid on the damaged roadway. This kind of pavement preservation seals the pavement to keep water out. When water freezes, it swells. When water seeps into an unsealed road and freezes, the swell damages the pavement. To cure this oily mixture of gravel chips and asphalt, hot and dry conditions are essential.

OVERLAY: An overlay uses different materials than a chip seal- instead of asphalt, pavement is applied. Overlays are typically more expensive than a basic chip seal.

MILL AND FILL: Milling takes place to grind down the first layer of damaged pavement, getting rid of ruts and cracks. An overlay of fresh asphalt (the “fill”) is placed on top of this newly smoothed surface. Finally, a fresh chip seal is applied over the road.

poor condition. Roads in truly bad shape require a lot more money, time and resources to fix up. Pavement preservation keeps more Montana roads from falling into serious disrepair. That means preventative maintenancekeeps Montana drivers from experiencing major road construction, which has more delays, detours and longer timelines to complete work.

Instead of waiting until a road deteriorates to the point where it would require millions of dollars to repair, resulting in lengthy traffic disruptions that could extend for an entire summer or more, pavement preservation extends the life ofthose roads with minimal investment and disruptions.

WHAT IS “PAVEMENT PRESERVATION” EXACTLY?

WHY ARE YOU WORKING ON ROADS THAT ARE IN GOOD SHAPE?

“FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT DOESN’T GO TO PAVEMENT PRESERVATION, SOMEWHERE FROM $4-$8 WILL NEED TO BE SPENT LATER ON RECONSTRUCTION.” -Helena Independent Record, June 2018