Smart Spending: Walton County's Strategy for Maintaining More Roads with Less Budget

The “Worst-First” Pavement Preservation Strategy

The ‘Worst-First’ approach is the least effective and most expensive pavement preservation strategy.

When communities wait until their roads are at the point of failure, they face exponentially higher repair costs and labor requirements. This reactive approach strains already tight municipal budgets and creates a cycle that’s difficult to break. The smarter strategy is proactive maintenance – preserving roads while they’re still in good condition to prevent costly deterioration.

Many counties across Georgia are wise to this fact, adopting a “best first” approach to pavement preservation. By maintaining their asphalt assets while still in good condition, local governments in the state have been able to extend the lifespan of these assets, reduce long-term repair costs, and keep their infrastructure in better shape overall. This ultimately prevents major pavement degradation, saving counties money and resources in the long run. These savings are a direct benefit to Georgia’s taxpayers.

One of these counties is Walton County. Below, we’ll explore how John Allman, Public Works Director for Walton County, extended the lifespan of the county’s roads while maximizing the budget.

 The Challenge: Cost-Effectively Maintaining The County’s Growing Road Network

Walton County is home to over 100,000 residents and has seen significant growth in the last few years as more families and individuals seek quieter, more affordable living spaces in Georgia.

With population growth comes an increased pressure on infrastructure, particularly with roads. New residents means more drivers on the counties, roadways,  which speeds up the factors that cause asphalt to deteriorate. 

Walton County’s situation was particularly precarious because many of the roads were built in the 1980s when the specs weren’t as “beefy” (as John describes them) and the inspections weren’t as regular, the county has struggled to find long-lasting but affordable ways to maintain its interior roads. 

In addition to population growth, Walton County also faces weather conditions that further speed up the wear and tear of asphalt roads. The county has a humid, subtropical climate characterized by hot and humid summers and mild to cool winters. The average summer temperature ranges from the upper 80s to the low 90s while winter temps are between 40 and 50°F. All these factors combine to speed up the oxidation process in asphalt, leading to further deterioration. 

The weather and aging infrastructure in Walton County resulted in a situation where reactive approach to pavement preservation would have led to disaster. That’s why the county decided to take a more proactive approach. To keep roads well-maintained, the county began searching for a way to extend the lifespan of roads without breaking their budget. After hearing about a neighboring county’s results with HA5 High Density Mineral Bond, John started doing his own research.

The Results: Long-Lasting, Cost-Effective Roads

Walton County applied HA5 to one of its roads as a test. “We wanted to see how it would hold up,” John said. “It did good, so now we’re trying to implement it on our new pavement in our subdivisions.” The county is embracing a “best first” approach, meaning it prioritizes maintenance of its roads while they’re still in good condition to save money.

“If we wait until we end up with base failure and lateral cracking, you have to spend a lot more money going in there and deep patching and crack sealing and then leveling and resurfacing. By the time you do all that, you could have paid for two developments,” John said. 

The appearance and the material’s longevity have saved the county thousands of dollars. All of which can be budgeted for future repaving needs, or used for other projects. 

The main step Walton County took to adopt a more proactive pavement preservation strategy was the adoption of HA5 High Density Mineral Bond. HA5 is designed to protect and extend the pavement’s lifespan by shielding it from the damaging effects of UV rays, moisture, and oxidation. Not only does this improve the road’s appearance, but it also significantly reduces the need for frequent repairs. For Walton County, HA5-treated asphalt lasts significantly longer than untreated pavement, preventing costly damage, deterioration, and frequent reapplication. 

“We’ve been really impressed with how it holds up,” John said. “I’d definitely recommend HA5 to other cities. We’re excited to implement more of that pavement preservation process in all subdivision pavements.”

Ready to Extend The Life Of Your Asphalt Assets?

Thanks to the increased longevity of asphalt roads, Walton County has significantly reduced costs around road maintenance. And Walton County isn’t the only location in Georgia that’s seen the same results. Both Fayette County and Milton City have seen incredible cost savings and longer-lasting roads with HA5. 

To see how HA5 can make a difference on your roads — and your budget — check out these additional case studies or contact Holbrook Asphalt to learn more.