What is Street Rehabilitation (Asphalt Paving)?

Street Rehabilitation (Asphalt Paving) consists of cold milling, installation of pavement fabric and an asphalt concrete overlay.

Cold Milling (also referred to as grinding) is the controlled removal of the surface of the existing pavement to a pre-determined depth with specially designed milling equipment.

Pavement fabric, a strong layer of stress absorbing fabric, is installed once milling is complete to minimize surface water infiltration and prevent existing cracks in underlying layers of the road from surfacing.  Pavement fabric can extend the life of asphalt overlays significantly.

Asphalt overly, also known as Asphalt Concrete or A.C., is a mixture of asphalt oil, crushed rock, gravel, and sand.  Typically, a 2” thick layer is applied over pavement fabric to provide improved ride quality and extend pavement life.

The Construction Process

The first step in this process is to cold mill the existing asphalt pavement along the edge of the gutters to allow a smooth transition for the asphalt overlay.  During this process, on-street parking will be prohibited during work hours.

Next, a pavement fabric is placed over the street to improve the integrity of the overlay and immediately after, an asphalt overlay is placed on top of the fabric.  During this phase, on-street parking is prohibited and the street will be closed or restricted to vehicular traffic.  Once the asphalt is placed and compacted, the street is reopened to traffic the same day.

When the asphalt overlay is completed, all manholes and valve box covers are raised to grade; and then the streets are re-striped and re-painted.

Photo courtesy of Propex/SI

Construction Protocol and General Project Information

The City looks forward to a successful project and to that end asks your cooperation by:

• Keeping children and pets away from the construction;
• Keeping persons or animals that may be sensitive to construction-related activities (i.e. noise-sensitive or vibration-sensitive) at a safe distance;
• Adhering to the No Parking notices;
• Not running water onto the street the night before or during the application;
• Not driving on the Slurry Seal before it has properly cured to avoid damaging both the integrity of the surface and, in some cases, the vehicle's paint; and
• Avoid steering your vehicle while stopped, and starting or stopping quickly during the first few weeks after the application to avoid marring Slurry Sealed surfaces.

Thank you for doing your part in helping us extend the life of Irvine’s roadways!

Learn more about the CalRecycle Grant Program, which provided funding for street repair projects that utilized recycled tire rubber. 

Please contact the Public Works Department for any questions or special requirements you might have at 949-724-7600 or at streets@cityofirvine.org.