West Seattle road work: ‘Microsurfacing’ for Arbor Heights, Fauntleroy

| Arbor Heights | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(Click image to see full-size map)
Residential streets in Arbor Heights and Fauntleroy will get a bit of a facelift this summer – with a process called microsurfacing that SDOT is using instead of chip seal. The map above shows the general project area, but that does NOT mean every block of every street will get this treatment. But some preparation work is starting now:

To prepare the streets for microsurfacing, SDOT crews will make minor repairs such as filling potholes, depressions and cracks. Locations identified as candidates for such repairs may be marked with white paint.

Trees and vegetation will be trimmed as necessary to allow the microsurfacing crews to complete their work.

The project area is divided into five sections. The northeast section will be prepared first, and SDOT will prepare each section before moving onto the next.

The prep work will begin as early as January as weather permits and may continue into the summer. This work is expected to occur intermittently as SDOT deploys crews for this project and for other maintenance projects throughout the city.

Full details about the project are here, including contact info at the end of that page if you have questions.

sgg January 8, 2014 (3:47 pm)

This will be the first time SDOT has spent a single dollar in Arbor Heights. When I lived there, there was no indication that anyone at City Hall knew the neighborhood existed.

Joe Szilagyi January 8, 2014 (4:20 pm)

In SDOT’s defense, they’ve been working with various funding sources to expand sidewalks on the west side of 35th ever closer toward Arbor Heights Elementary, and are in the process of adding a traffic circle on an intersection a block or two west of 35th somewhere around 100th-ish (sorry, I can’t recall the exact location now). It’s nice to see that we’re starting to get more attention down in the deep southwestern wilderness. More to come, I wager.

WSB January 8, 2014 (4:31 pm)

SDOT *has* had projects in Arbor Heights in the not-too-distant past – here’s one
.
https://westseattleblog.com/2013/04/west-seattle-road-work-sw-106th-paving-in-arbor-heights-next-week/
.
starting a meeting or else I’d go find others :)
.
TR

Genesee Hill January 8, 2014 (5:08 pm)

sgg: When did you live there? Back in the 1860s? rofl

Delridge Denizen January 8, 2014 (5:10 pm)

If it’s a road resurfacing project within Seattle city limits, it’s bound to be micro. What are they gonna do, run a street-sweeper down it and call it good? (Yes, I’ll read the link; just having some fun).

MMB January 8, 2014 (6:55 pm)

Good news – thanks WSB! And thanks Joe, for posting on AH FB.

batgurrl January 8, 2014 (8:41 pm)

Anything has to be better than chip surfacing. Every time the city did our street here in arbor heights we had goo on the car and rock damage. Figure we are the step child of the city to get a road in the boondocks. Read the article and seems better but real pavement like rest of the city would be nice. Just saying. R

Kc January 8, 2014 (8:54 pm)

I wondering if all the water main upgrades (remember the house fire that basically burned to the ground do to lack of water volume and pressure) have been done prior to resurfacing the streets? Otherwise it will be like fixing an old car then selling it for scrap?

WSB January 8, 2014 (9:05 pm)

All that work is done.

dsa January 8, 2014 (10:05 pm)

SDOT describes it as an emulsion, which in this case means a water and asphalt mixture. Chip seals usually use hot oil followed by the spreading of the fine rock. The water emulsion is the reason they are emphasizing waiting for it to cure. It won’t be ready to use fast like hot oil is.

WSB January 8, 2014 (10:13 pm)

Regarding what’s in it, I should have more information tomorrow – I followed up today with the SDOT folks in charge of the project, to ask what’s in it, which brand they’re using, and also some other questions about what might follow this year’s work in these two neighborhoods. So stand by for a followup – TR

Marty2 January 9, 2014 (7:30 am)

The City did some microsurfacing last summer in the Wedgewood neighborhood. It looks similar to the asphalt sealcoating you see done in parking lots, but with some sand/aggregate mixed in with the emulsion.

daPuffin January 9, 2014 (12:11 pm)

there are potholes on my street that are marked in white paint. Unfortunately, the huge holes at the end of the street have filled with water and you can’t even see where the paint had been.
;-/ Hopefully, there is a worklist for the entire project, because unless you know there *had* been paint there, you’d never be aware that it was marked.

wsn00b January 9, 2014 (4:45 pm)

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/paving.htm hasn’t been updated for 2014. WSB/Others : do you know of the updated plan? Is 35th Ave SW going to be repaired anytime soon? It was unfunded in 2013.

WSB January 9, 2014 (4:55 pm)

That is part of what I asked SDOT about in my followup questions. Haven’t heard back yet today so I am likely due for a reminder note. – TR

Mike January 9, 2014 (10:43 pm)

Is this the magic of our new mayor? I’m amazed that we’re actually going to see some projects like this to enhance road quality. Good to see this, hopefully it’ll continue.

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