Paving schedule - PINK section 10/29/24
Paving schedule this week
This week, the second and final layer of paving will be laid on streets in the southern part of the PINK section, east of Cranbrook. The schedule is tentatively set as follows:
Thursday 10/31 — Northern part of Yarmouth between Cranbrook and Birmingham, then Waddington Road. The contractor will not pave the cross streets (Oak and Pine). See comments below re: Halloween.
Friday 11/1 — Tilbury Road, Tilbury Place, Yarmouth between Cranbrook and Maple, Bradway east of Cranbrook
Saturday 11/2 — Glenhurst, Westwood and Pine
Thursday’s weather forecast currently includes rain. If it does rain on Thursday, the paving schedule will shift one day later; paving scheduled for Saturday will move to next Monday. Ajax will make the call on whether to pave the morning paving is scheduled, based on the weather on that day.
Roads will be closed and driveway access restricted during paving
During the paving process, the streets will be completely closed to ALL traffic and parking; streets will remain closed until the morning following paving. For example, for streets paved on Thursday, the road will remain closed overnight and will reopen on Friday morning. Residents will not have access into or out of their driveways until the street is reopened the next morning. The contractor will place barricades at intersections to block traffic from entering the newly paved surface.
Just prior to laying the final asphalt, the contractor will spray “tack” over the existing first layer of pavement. The tack is a sort of glue to adhere the two layers of asphalt together. The tack is very, very sticky, like a black tar. It will stick to tires, shoes, etc. — and will be almost impossible to remove. Drivers who choose to drive on the tack, in spite of the road being closed, will likely end up with the tack on their vehicles and will be responsible for the cost of attempting to remove it. The final asphalt layer will cover the tack.
The final layer of paving, known as the “wearing course,” will be the permanent surface we will drive on for the next 10-20 years. It is important to allow the wearing course of asphalt extra time to cool, cure, and fully and completely harden. If there is vehicle traffic on the new pavement before it is fully cured, there may be tire tracks and other marks on the surface. While these marks will be cosmetic in nature, they will also be permanent. If someone chooses to move the barricades (or exit their driveway) and drive over the surface before it is fully cured, we will have to live with the cosmetic marks on the road surface. To be very clear, the contractor will not repair any such marks. It has been a long summer of construction to build up to this point where we will have new, beautiful and smooth roads. It is up to us, as residents, to be patient, respect the barricades (even if they are just cones!), and allow the asphalt time to cure.
Paving on Halloween
The contractor has agreed that the paving work will conclude around 4 pm on Halloween, to allow time for the crew to clear the work site before trick or treating begins at 6. By that point, the asphalt will be sufficiently cool for trick or treat activities. Foot traffic and wagons for small children are not heavy enough to mar the asphalt surface. Barricades will be placed at all intersections (Yarmouth, Oak, Pine, Tilbury Place, Maple) to indicate that the road is closed to traffic. The large, fence-like barricades will be used (not just cones). These barricades are far more substantial than cones, and much more difficult to move aside. Our officers will also be on patrol in the area.
We realize it is not optimal to pave on Halloween. However, the contractor needs to make good use of each day of dry weather, especially with rain in the forecast for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of next week. On the other hand, it might be an advantage to have the street closed to traffic during trick or treat festivities.
The contractor will be making a final pass through the Pink and Blue sections on Thursday (10/31) afternoon to review signage, barricades etc. in order to provide a safe construction zone for children to trick or treat.
Parking alternatives
The contractor is planning the paving schedule to ensure that residents will have parking alternatives when their roads are closed. Parking suggestions:
North end of Yarmouth east of Cranbrook — parking on the Birmingham streets or Yarmouth west of Cranbrook
Waddington — Westwood, Pine, Tilbury or Tilbury Place, Yarmouth west of Cranbrook are options depending on where your home is on Waddington
Tilbury/Tilbury Place — Waddington (once it is opened) or Westwood, Bradway west of Cranbrook, Yarmouth west of Cranbrook
South part of Yarmouth east of Cranbrook, Bradway — Bradway west of Cranbrook (near Bradway Park), Yarmouth west of Cranbrook
Packages, contractors and garbage
Once a street is closed for paving, FedEx, UPS and other delivery drivers will have to park elsewhere and walk in to make their deliveries. Similarly, sitters, cleaning people, landscapers and contractors working in resident homes will have to park outside the paving zone and walk in. Residents are encouraged to schedule contractors on a different day than the paving day. On Friday, Ajax will work with Priority Waste to allow them to pick up garbage placed at the curb if at all possible. However, once the tack is laid, the garbage truck cannot access the street to get the trash. Priority has been good about coming back Monday for any trash the trucks miss because of the paving.
What happens after paving?
Some restoration work may remain after the wearing course of asphalt is laid. Residents who still need sprinkler repairs or other restoration work should contact Wayne Dabrowski of the Road Commission at wdabrowski@rcoc.org.
Sprinkler winterization and repairs in the spring
Mike’s Landscaping has completed most sprinkler repairs in the southern part of the Pink section. Residents who discover issues during winterization should have their sprinkler people flag the areas that need repair, and email Wayne Dabrowski at wdabrowski@rcoc.org to be placed on the list for spring repairs. Mike’s will be back in the spring to repair any remaining issues that resulted from the road construction. Residents can choose to have their own contractors repair any such damage, but will not be reimbursed for doing so.
Thank you for your patience in getting to this final phase in our Road project!