Regina, Saskatchewan is investing $350,000 from its existing paving maintenance budget in a new pavement preservation technique designed to restore and rejuvenate the surface of the asphalt at a fraction of the cost of repaving the roads.

The treatment seals the pavement, preventing moisture from penetrating into it and causing cracks and erosion. It’s environmentally-friendly and less invasive. The pavement will be evaluated over the next year to determine how the sealant stands up in the environment.

“The total cost to apply these treatments is estimated at one tenth that of repaving a roadway,” said Mayor Michael Fougere. “Should the pilot program be successful, lifecycle maintenance costs for treated roadways could be reduced by as much as 60 per cent. If this treatment is successful, this would allow us to allocate more resources to roads that have greater and higher cost needs like repaving or reconstruction.”

Roads have to be free of ruts, potholes and wide cracks, as well as structurally sound. Pavement preservation work will be completed on 20 test locations.

“This approach is about investing in infrastructure maintenance at the right time to extend the lifecycle of our assets,” added Norman Kyle, director of roadways and transportation. “It’s a new technique that is different than anything we’ve done before with the main difference being the type of road surfaces selected. These roads are often newer roads which look like they do not require any work. But the treatment, if successful in our environment, will sustain the life cycle of Regina’s roads at a fraction of the current cost.”