Official website of the
City of Vancouver, Washington

Pavement Management

Annual Pavement Management Program

Time, traffic and weather take their toll on all pavement surfaces. For more than 20 years,Vancouver’s leaders have supported a Pavement Management Program that provides safer driving conditions and extends the life of our streets.

The City of Vancouver can resurface approximately 20-25 miles of roadway each year, based on current funding levels. The two most common types of resurfacing treatments are slurry seal and asphalt overlay. These treatments preserve and replace the street surface. Both extend the life of the roadway and may look similar when done, but, as the chart below shows, offer distinct differences that can be targeted to specific street needs. Through our Pavement Management Program, we can choose the best method for protecting our transportation needs.

2010 Pavement Management Program:

Total cost of the 2010 program is expected to be about $4.5 million, of which $2.5 million is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's (ARRA) federal jobs stimulus programs.  View the news release about the 2010 Pavement Management Program here.

The Path to Selection: How the Streets and Treatments are Chosen
Streets included in our annual resurfacing projects are carefully evaluated and inspected under the guidelines of our Pavement Management Program. The City of Vancouver maintains a database of surface conditions and work history for more than 6,500 sections of city streets. Each year, 275 miles of streets are visually inspected to see how they are holding up to transportation demands and our Northwest weather. City staff members evaluate the potential resurfacing candidates and create a project list based on a number of criteria.

One major consideration is the ability to coordinate needed pavement resurfacing with other street, water, sewer and underground utility improvements. Most major streets also receive additional engineering analysis to further evaluate conditions. After all factors have been considered, the candidates are reviewed and a final project list is developed for slurry seal and asphalt overlay.

Beneath the Surface: Why the Pavement Management Program is Important
When it comes to moving people and materials in Vancouver, the streets are our most vital asset. It would cost over $450 million to replace the driving surface of our more than 175 miles of arterial and 350 miles of residential streets. We believe an investment this important should be carefully preserved and maintained for our residents. Vancouver’s Pavement Management Program does just that.

The Pavement Management Program seeks to balance preservation with replacement of existing surfaces. The most cost-efficient way to correct any street surface problem is to address issues when they first appear. That is why funds are targeted at streets rated in fair-to-good condition. Without this preventative maintenance, these streets would quickly deteriorate and be much more costly to fix.

The “pavement life curve,” shown below, illustrates this point. Pavement may appear to be in good condition for a long time. However, when it fails, it fails quickly and repair costs increase dramatically. Preventative maintenance, such as slurry seals, extends the life of Vancouver’s valuable street system. In addition to lowering costs over time, other advantages of our Pavement Management Program include: more predictable funding needs, fewer premature pavement failures, safer road conditions and reduced time spent in traffic due to construction.

Useful Phone #'s
Pavement Management: (360) 487-7700
Pothole Repairs or Street Maintenance: (360) 696-8177
Construction Services: (360) 487-7750