Austin has 8,000 lane miles of streets and 2,500 centerline miles. Austin Transportation and Public Works uses various strategies to improve and maintain City of Austin-owned roadway surfaces. Scheduled preventative maintenance helps prolong the lifespan of these surfaces by protecting them from aging, cracking, deterioration, and water infiltration. Prolonging the life of our city streets saves time and taxpayer money by intervening before full reconstruction is needed.
What streets will be paved next?
Use the interactive Street Maintenance map to see what streets are scheduled for maintenance this year. The map reflects our most current research and is updated annually . Our goal is to maintain at least 80 percent of Austin’s streets in fair or better condition.
Five Types of Pavement Treatment
Our five main treatment types include sealcoat, overlay, slurry seal, crack seal and fog seal. The City of Austin uses a Pavement Information System (PMIS) to track pavement inventory and performance, which helps to assign appropriate treatment types at various locations.
- Sealcoat
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One of the more notable treatment types we use on streets is sealcoat. This is a cost-effective maintenance solution that is applied from April to October each year.
To apply, crews spray an oil mixture on the road then spread and roll the gravel mixture into place. Finally, they sweep up excess gravel, resulting in a smoother surface that eliminates the hairline cracks that lead to potholes.
Residents who live along streets identified for sealcoat treatment will receive a notice before scheduled work. These residents will be asked to move vehicles away from streets scheduled for maintenance for two days.
Streets can be used immediately after treatment, which is typically done in 30 minutes. However, hard braking or turning over newly-sealcoated streets should be avoided, since this can cause an increased amount of small gravel particles to break loose from the road before the treatment cures. Crews will return for additional sweeping of loose gravel if needed. Residents can expect loose gravel to settle in roughly 4-6 weeks.
Sealcoat is not applied in cul-de-sacs due to sharp turning by vehicles in these areas. Instead, a slurry seal treatment may be applied in cul-de-sacs.
- Overlay
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Mill and overlay involves grinding up the existing asphalt and base material, removing it, and applying new pavement. The result will be a much smoother driving surface. Overlay consists of a single layer of hot mix asphaltic concrete used to level, waterproof, and restore the original street shape and ride.
- Slurry Seal
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A slurry seal is a mixture of asphalt, water, fine aggregate, and mineral filler withy a creamy fluid-like appearance. Slurry seals fill existing pavement surface defects as a preparatory treatment for other maintenance treatments. This treatment is also used in cul-de-sacs.
- Crack Seal
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Crack seal consists of sealing the cracks in the pavement with a sealant or asphalt-sealing product to prevent moisture from entering into the base and subgrade material.
- Fog seal
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Fog seal is a light application of diluted asphalt mixture. The seal is used to renew aged asphalt surfaces and to seal small cracks and surface voids.
Report an Issue
To report a pothole or other street maintenance issue, call 3-1-1, visit the Austin 3-1-1 website or download the 3-1-1 app.
Related Links
Pavement Preventative Maintenance FAQ
Mill and Overlay Overview