How Salem, UT Became A Pavement Preservation Leader To Cope With Massive Growth
Salem, UT, a small town located 55 miles south of Salt Lake City, has grown significantly over the past decade. With so many new residents moving to this southern end of Utah County, the City of Salem has had to find new solutions to maintain its asphalt. Rather than continuing to spend money on ineffective sealing treatments, city officials found an effective pavement preservation strategy with HA5 High Density Mineral Bond. Now, Salem takes a proactive approach to pavement preservation and prompts new housing developments to apply HA5 right away, in order to preserve and extend the life of roads from day one.
The Problem
Salem, UT lacked an effective pavement preservation strategy. As the city grew, the streets department noticed how frequently roads needed to be sealed. Asphalt is one of the town’s most expensive assets, yet little was being done to safeguard it or prolong its life. Failing roads were poised to ruin the city’s budget.
The Solution
Salem city officials began devising a better asphalt preservation strategy to protect such a huge asset. Once they found HA5 High Density Mineral Bond, they realized how beneficial it would be for the town and its residents. HA5 became a regular tool in the city’s pavement preservation program and continues to keep roads in good shape for longer.
Why Salem Needed A Better Approach
Salem, UT, is a residential town surrounded by views of the Wasatch Mountains. The city has around 10,000 residents, a 54% increase from the 6,500 people recorded on the 2010 census. With so much growth, Salem city officials felt the need to invest more time and money into pavement preservation.
James Thomas from the Salem City Streets Department noted that asphalt preservation wasn’t always a priority. “For a lot of years, we never had a maintenance program. We’d let contractors come in and build subdivisions, and we never did anything,” he said.
Part of this inattention was due to the cost of frequent sealing treatments throughout the town. “One of the challenges of being in public works is finding the money to keep the roads [in good shape],” said Thomas.
** Before HA5
The Introduction of HA5
Around 13 years ago, Salem city employees decided to take a chance on a relatively new treatment called HA5 High Density Mineral Bond. As an early adopter, the city of Salem was one of the first to see the impact of this product and how it stood out compared to other treatments.
Thomas noted that HA5 performed exceptionally better than slurry coats, seal coats, and chip seal treatments they tried in the past.
“We’ve had seal coats come in, and in two years, they look worse than the HA5 after seven. Way worse,” said Thomas. The town was so pleased with the results of HA5 that Thomas decided to apply the product throughout Salem.
Thomas also noted that HA5 has become a standard application for new developments throughout the city. When contractors build new neighborhoods, the city requires that they add a preservation treatment (HA5) to the community’s asphalt surfaces before the roads are turned over to the City. “Let’s start preserving these roads from day one, so it doesn’t cost millions and millions later on to fix [them] and play catch up.”
HA5 performs so well because it provides superior protection from UV and moisture intrusion compared to other surface treatments. High Density Mineral Bond keeps vital oils in the asphalt, delaying oxidation by years. In Salem, a city with blazing sunshine in the summer and plenty of rain and snow in the winter, this product helps protect asphalt from the elements.
** After HA5
Salem’s New Look
City officials aren’t the only ones who have been pleased with the performance of HA5. The people of Salem also love the look and feel of the High Density Mineral Bond.
“We’ve got some good residents here who really care about the city and like to keep it clean and nice,” said Thomas. “We’ve had a few people come into the office and they’re thrilled with the way these new roads are looking. Everybody thinks it’s new asphalt.”
He even said that older neighborhoods complained about new developments getting “brand-new asphalt” from the city when, in reality, they were just applying HA5. The performance was so good that it made the city look good as new.
With so much success in Salem, Thomas recommends HA5 to anyone looking for an effective pavement preservation strategy.
“If I had another agency calling me to investigate HA5, I’d say use it. So far, from what we’ve seen, the professional quality is by far one of the better surface treatments I’ve used,” he said. “I would definitely recommend it to any city looking to stretch their dollar. You’re doing a lot of square footage for a minimal price.”
Contact us today to learn more about HA5, and be sure to read more case studies below.
Related Case Studies
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