Download b-roll footage from this morning's media availability.

Austin Public Works is continuing its seasonal street maintenance in neighborhoods around the city. This effort improves hundreds of lane miles of neighborhood streets in every Council district around Austin. 

Residents can expect to see crews in neighborhoods through the early fall. These maintenance activities help preserve Austin's streets and extend their lifespan. 

Crews will notify residents in advance of maintenance treatments in neighborhoods with doorhangers that list procedures and ask vehicles to be temporarily removed from the street. Vehicles not moved prior to scheduled maintenance will be towed to a nearby street. 

The main maintenance treatment that crews apply during this time of year is sealcoat. This requires three basic steps: spray, spread and sweep.

Sealcoat is a quick process involving spraying a layer of oil and spreading an asphalt material on top. Crews then sweep remaining rock and may return to do additional sweeping if needed. 

To help make this a smooth process, Austin Public Works is offering the following tips:

• Vehicles must be removed from streets scheduled for maintenance for two (2) days.
• Expect loose gravel once the work is complete. Some loose rock that remains on the road will settle into the new asphalt material with time.
• Avoid hard braking and sharp turning until the surface hardens to prevent flying gravel.

The sealcoat process results in a smoother surface eliminating the hairline cracks that lead to potholes. The treatment must be done in warm, dry conditions, so the work is usually done between May and October as weather permits.

To see streets scheduled for maintenance and for more info, visit AustinTexas.gov/StreetMaintenance.

The City of Austin uses a Pavement Management Information System (PMIS) to track pavement inventory and performance and to coordinate, plan, and forecast pavement needs. The PMIS ensures the most cost effective program for long term pavement maintenance. The annual sealcoat program covers about 500 different streets in neighborhoods all over the city.

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About Austin Public Works Street and Bridge Operations:
Public Works Street and Bridge Operations manages and maintains public right-of-way infrastructure including streets, bridges, sidewalks, guardrails, trees and vegetation. Our five divisions patch potholes, resurface streets, repair utility cuts, maintain the City's medians, right-of-way maintenance on trees, and respond after storms.