City of St. Paul Park 

Patch and Repair:  The repair of the typical "pothole" or other similar small isolated section of structural failure.  It involves removal and repair of the street section.

 

Crack seal:  Bituminous or blacktop pavement by design is flexible to accommodate the freeze/thaw cycle of our climate. Subsequently, cracking will occur in relatively new pavement and continue throughout its life due to age, traffic, weather, etc.  Crack "filling" is the placement of a liquid asphalt emulsion into the void, coating the newly exposed internal surface of the pavement to limit further deterioration.  Crack "sealing" is the placement of a rubberized sealant in the crack that will provide a protective coating and seal out water. 

Sealcoat:  The surface application of an asphalt emulsion followed by the placement of small graded aggregate.  This coating is wear-resistant and protects pavements from oxidation and the effects of moisture.

As part of its street maintenance, the city seal coats selected streets during the summer.  Seal coating extends the life of the road surface by protecting it from wear and premature deterioration. 

Mill and Overlay:  This process includes grinding the old surface to make the pavement uniform, then adding a new hot-mix overlay.  An overlay is a structural improvement which renews the street surface and extends the life cycle of the original pavement.

Reconstruction:  All existing asphalt pavement is removed through a full-depth milling process, pulverized to a specific gradation, reclaimed and recycled with the existing aggregate base.  Then a new full-depth hot-mix asphalt pavement is installed.  It may also involve soil corrections and removal of aggregate base.

Potholes: No one likes them!  They seem to pop up over night.  In reality potholes are created in a number of ways.  When water seeps into cracks on the road's surface and is combined with the vibration of traffic it causes the asphalt to fail.  This is why there are more potholes after it rains.  The most common cause is the freeze/thaw cycle.  The ice/snow melts during the day filling cracks with water.  At night the water freezes and expands, popping out the asphalt. 

Potholes and other roadway failures are repaired by the Street Division in order of priority.  To report potholes, call the Public Works Department at (651) 459-3730.