Highway paving and repair, is a process which is done by towns, counties, states, and even the federal government. We all drive on the results. Few ever think about the various types of paving, but believe me, there are great differences! Concrete is probably the longest lived, and if done smoothly, is wonderful, and will last the longest. Probably the most expensive, although if the lifespan of various pavements is divided by the cost per mile, it might not be the most expensive. Asphalt is by far the smoothest, and cheaper than concrete. I love to drive on asphalt roads. For at least two reasons. (1) they are quiet. and (2) tires last the longest on asphalt.
Chip seal, is by far the cheapest way to pave a highway or road. What it is, are two things combined. First, a thick film of a liquid asphalt, which sets fairly quickly, is sprayed on the road from a heated tanker whose nozzles are wide enough to adequately cover the surface to be ’paved.’ I use the term ’paved’ because it is not ’paving’ at all, but the absolute cheapest way to do a job. After the liquid asphalt has covered the road, sharp gravels, selected for their sharpness, so they will stick, are covered over the liquid asphalt. Presto! The road is ’paved.’ Does a chip seal paving last a long time? It lasts the least longest time of the three, but it is CHEAP, and any fool can do it. I hate chip sealed roads.
Why do I hate chip sealed roads? Simple! First of all, they are noisy to drive over, and guess what? That noise is wearing your tires prematurely. Think about it. Than hideous noise you hear when driving over a chip sealed road is coming from your poor tires running over sharp rocks held in place by thick, adhesive, cured, asphalt liquid. That liquid asphalt is designed to hold those sharp pebbles very securely. They never break loose. Eventually, they will wear down a bit and the noise and tire wear will decline a bit, but by that time, the highway big chiefs will decide to do another coat. Chip seal, probably, if all driving were done on it, would wear tires out at least 30% faster than on asphalt or smooth concrete. Not only that, but chip seal wears out show plow blades also…but it is CHEAP. That cheapness makes the highway department’s books look good, even though it wears out our tires and makes a huge noise when we drive over the cheap process.
I know damned well that probably 98% of drivers never even notice the chip seal I am writing about. Everyone just takes highways for what they are, and that is places to drive on with no mud, dirt, or dangers. My wife and I usually go to Texas once a year or so to visit her kids, and see just how level a state can be, and at the same time be so great with its patriotism, no state income tax, and generally the very friendly Texas attitude. I love Texas, but the Colorado mountains and beauty are what makes Texans love Colorado, and especially in summer or ski season. That’s beside the point of course. When we go to Texas, we always end up driving for six hours on U.S. 287, which goes through different counties and lots of different little towns. The different pavings on that road, are, to me anyway, a classic example of how to pave, and how not to pave. Chip seal, concrete, and asphalt are all on Route 287 between Amarillo (where the wind never stops) and Ft. Worth. Chip sealed roads make a radio pointless, as the noise is overpowering, even in a Mercedes. I cringe when I must drive on a chip sealed road, as my tires are wearing out prematurely. But the highway department’s books look good, even though we are all bearing the cost of that ’rsquo;cheapness.’ I wish I could strangle the purveyors of chip seal, because the very cheapness of it is making it impossible to listen to my radio, wearing out my tires, and even causing severe damage to snow plows. All I can do is complain.