There is an old saying among highway workers: "The pothole you filled yesterday is the pothole that returns tomorrow." While this saying was almost certainly not uttered by Buddha beneath the Bodhi tree, one suspects he would have understood it immediately. After all, few things illustrate…continue
There are very few pieces of equipment that can pay for themselves as quickly as an asphalt hot box. Many small highway departments view hot boxes as equipment reserved for counties, cities, or large paving contractors. In reality, an asphalt hot box may be one of the most valuable and cost-effectiv…continue
Anyone who has worked around highway departments, contractors, or quarries quickly learns that construction aggregate terminology can be confusing. The same material may have three different names depending on the county, contractor, engineer, quarry, or generation of highway employees involved in t…continue
Most drivers have experienced it at least once. You're driving on a familiar road after dark when the rain begins to fall. At first, visibility remains acceptable, but as the pavement becomes saturated, the lane markings seem to fade away or disappear entirely. Suddenly, you're relying on th…continue
Ask ten residents who is responsible for maintaining sidewalks in their town and you may receive ten different answers. Some assume the municipality handles everything. Others believe the adjacent property owner is fully responsible. In reality, sidewalk responsibility is often far more complicated …continue
Sidewalks are among the most heavily used pieces of public infrastructure in any community. Residents rely on them every day for walking, jogging, accessing businesses, reaching schools, and connecting to transit systems. Yet despite their importance, sidewalks are often overlooked until someone tri…continue
If you’ve spent any time trying to assign a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) score, you’ve probably run into the same problem: the road isn’t uniform. Most of it looks good, but a short section might be failing badly. Suddenly, assigning a single number feels subjective and uncomfort…continue
Road rutting is one of the most visible signs that a pavement surface is under stress. These long, narrow depressions that form in the wheel paths of a roadway are more than just a nuisance for drivers. They are important indicators of how well a road was designed, constructed, and maintained. For p…continue
Across the country, many public works superintendents still choose their annual paving lists using a method that’s as informal as it is risky: they simply “know” which roads look bad and need work. While decades of experience have value, this approach, often referred to as paving b…continue
A practical guide to defensible record-keeping for highway departments When a state auditor, insurance adjuster, or opposing attorney asks for documentation, there is only one safe answer: “Certainly, here it is.” Anything less invites financial penalties, lost grant funding, or courtroo…continue
How highway departments objectively measure roadway health, and turn numbers into smarter maintenance decisions What the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) actually is The Pavement Condition Index is a numerical score (0–100) that expresses the structural and functional health of an asphalt or con…continue
Why every highway department should treat potholes, faded striping, and clogged drains as potential lawsuit magnets 1 | The public-safety duty In every U.S. state, the agency that owns or controls a roadway has a non-delegable duty to keep it “reasonably safe for travel.” Courts have sai…continue
Overlaying an existing road with a fresh layer of asphalt is a common and cost-effective maintenance technique. However, there comes a point when adding yet another layer without milling (grinding) the surface first can lead to more harm than good. Milling is the process of removing a portion, or al…continue
When a road surface starts showing its age, highway departments are faced with a key decision: apply a new overlay of asphalt or dig deeper, literally, with a more comprehensive solution like Full Depth Recycling (FDR) - also known as full depth reclamation. While a simple overlay can buy some time,…continue
Before your crew drops the blade, rolls out the compactor, or breaks ground on that drainage fix, it’s critical to ask one key question: Are we within the town’s legal right-of-way (ROW)? Too often, highway departments rely on outdated assumptions or tax maps to determine where their leg…continue
In highway maintenance and construction, digging is routine, but it should never be done without first contacting Dig Safe or your local "Call Before You Dig" service. Whether you’re replacing a culvert, installing a new signpost, or trenching for drainage improvements, underground u…continue
Stormwater management is one of the most effective tools municipalities can use to protect their road infrastructure and stretch maintenance budgets. Too often, the relationship between drainage and pavement longevity is overlooked , but the presence of standing water on or near a roadway is one of …continue
When it comes to assessing road conditions, municipalities often turn to two main approaches: Pavement Condition Index (PCI) and Surface Condition Ratings. Both offer useful insights, but they serve different purposes and vary in complexity, time, and cost. Here's a breakdown to help you choose …continue
As a highway superintendent, managing your department’s workload is a balancing act between limited resources, urgent needs, and long-term planning. With miles of roadway, countless infrastructure assets, and ever-changing weather conditions, knowing what to tackle first can feel overwhelming.…continue
Barricades are a common sight in construction zones, work areas, and emergency detours, but not all barricades are created equal. The orange or red diagonal stripes you see on barricades aren't just there for visibility - they actually convey important directional and safety information to drive…continue
Defending Against Liability Claims Highway departments are on the front lines of public safety, maintaining roads, traffic signals, signs, and other infrastructure that keeps communities moving. But with that responsibility comes liability. If a stop sign is missing, a traffic signal malfunctions, o…continue
When it comes to managing your town’s roads, signs, drainage systems, and other infrastructure, you know what matters: keeping things in good condition, knowing what needs attention, and staying organized. That’s where asset management software comes in. But for many highway departments,…continue
Sometimes a simple pothole patch just won’t cut it. Maybe the road is starting to look more like a patchwork quilt than a smooth surface. Maybe those same holes keep coming back, no matter how many times you’ve filled them. When that happens, it might be time to step up the game with gri…continue
If you’ve ever driven down a bumpy road and thought, “Wow, someone really needs to fix this,” you’ve had a firsthand experience with pavement condition, though maybe not in technical terms. That’s where the Pavement Condition Index, or PCI, comes into play. It’s t…continue
Not every road sees rush hour traffic or endless lines of commuters. Some roads quietly wind through the countryside, connecting farms, homes, and small towns. These low-traffic rural roads might not grab headlines, but they play a vital role in the daily lives of the people who depend on them. Main…continue
Utility cuts are an unavoidable part of maintaining the underground infrastructure that keeps our communities running. Water, sewer, gas, electric, and communications systems all occasionally require access beneath our roadways. However, when those cuts are not properly managed, they can severely im…continue
As the costs of raw materials and environmental concerns rise, many municipalities and highway departments are turning to recycled materials as a potential solution for road repair and construction. But are these materials truly a viable alternative to traditional methods? What Are Recycled Road Mat…continue
For years, highway departments have relied on handwritten logs, memory, and word-of-mouth to track maintenance work. But as roads age, crews rotate, and infrastructure grows more complex, it becomes harder to keep track of what was done, when, where, and why. That’s where asset management soft…continue
Chip sealing, also known as tar and chip or seal coating, is a widely used method for maintaining and preserving road surfaces. It involves applying a layer of liquid asphalt to the existing pavement, followed by a layer of crushed stone that is rolled into place. While chip sealing can be a cost-ef…continue
For small highway departments, managing road, sign, drainage, and signal assets can feel overwhelming, especially when you're short on staff, time, and budget. Yet without a reliable system to track the condition and maintenance history of your infrastructure, your department is flying blind. Th…continue