Chris Pelletier, Public Works Manager, Nederland. Aside from typical operations this month, Public Works primarily focused on paving Conger Street which was a major project for the Department. Public Works is in the beginning phases of developing paving operations and the necessary skills to make pavement improvements to town roads into the future. Conger Street represents the first road that the Town’s Public Works Department has ever paved, and the project was a success. 

Historically, the Department has performed pavement repairs using equipment that is meant for dirt roads which is not ideal but has been adequate for minor repairs. Over time as the Town’s asphalt roads have deteriorated, more extensive repairs have been needed and the Town’s current equipment is not appropriate for this kind of work. In recognition of this, the Department purchased a paving machine this year to be able to make more extensive repairs and begin to restore the Town’s asphalt roads. Public Works is skilled at road grading and construction of dirt roads, but asphalt demands a different set of skills that the Department is in the process of developing.  

In 2017, a road assessment was performed on all of the Town’s roads to determine current conditions of each road and make recommendations for improvements. Additionally, the assessment included probable costs to determine what the future budget needs would be to make necessary repairs and upgrades.

Based on the conclusions of the assessment, Staff pursued an increase in sales tax to help fund necessary road improvements which was passed in April of 2018. As evident to most residents in Nederland the assessment determined that a majority of the Town’s asphalt roads have reached the end of a typical lifespan for an asphalt road that has received minimal maintenance. The majority of the asphalt roads in town were paved in the late 80’s and early 90’s, using revenue from the water and sewer funds.  RTD helped pave Jefferson and the Visitor’s Center parking lot when the Park-n-Ride was located there prior to its current location.

The cost of asphalt and road construction has increased significantly over the years and the cost estimates given in the 2017 Roads Assessment were very high and cost prohibitive to the Town’s current budget. For example, it was estimated to cost over $600,000 to pave Big Springs Drive. It is for this reason that the Town’s Public Works Department would need to develop the necessary skills and take on more of these projects in order to reduce costs and make repairs that are more in line with the Department’s current budget.

While a paving machine is a major first step there are other machines necessary to complete paving projects. To pave Conger Street a paving roller was rented to compact and smooth the surface at a cost of $900 a week. In order to ensure the asphalt properly adheres to the surface that it’s being applied to a tack oil must be applied that also requires a machine. Staff was able to apply this resourcefully by hand with custom tools that in the future will need to be replaced with the correct equipment for better efficiency. Public Works is looking forward to more paving projects in the future.

(Originally published in the September 10, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)