Yuba County neighborhood has mixed response to $1.3 million road maintenance project
MARYSVILLE — A $1.3 million project to put a protective seal on roads in one Yuba County community has some residents scratching their heads.
Residents in the Linda neighborhood of Edgewater are frustrated with the state of their roads, and not everyone is too happy about a 13-mile slurry seal project.
🛣️Over 13 miles of Edgewater roadway are getting fresh slurry seal-- a surface that extends the life of the roadway 7-10...
Posted by Yuba County on Friday, June 7, 2024
They call it a temporary fix to a longer-term problem.
"There are so many streets that need not just a bandaid as they say, not just restriping, but there are many streets in this area that need to be completely repaved," Sick said.
So why is the county choosing roads that look OK for the most part for the slurry seal? Rachel Abbott, a county spokesperson, said to think of it as a preventative measure like getting an oil change.
"You don't want to wait until your car breaks down and then you have to replace it or replace the engine. That is much more costly and ineffective," Abbott said.
Abbott said the slurry seal is a third of the cost of repaving the asphalt and takes much less time, which will limit inconvenience to neighbors in the area.
"You don't want to wait until it's all chewed up with potholes. It's a lot more expensive and time-consuming that way," Abbott said.
This week, the county is focusing on scraping up the striping on the ground near stop signs. Next week is when they'll be putting down the actual slurry seal which, the county said, will extend the life of the road by 7-10 years.
"It'll coat the road. It will protect the underlying structure of the road. It fills the cracks, keeps the moisture out, protects from weather, against the sun and it also adds great skid resistance," said Wes Not, a senior inspector for Yuba County Public Works.
Abbott said the county is constantly evaluating roadways all year long from the foothills down to the valley.
"If it's to protect the road, then I think it's a great idea because they're going to have to do this in the future anyways," said Edgewater resident Gerardo Alvarado.
The schedule for the rest of the Edgewater slurry seal project hasn't been finalized but Abbott said once it is, they will doorhang informational pamphlets in the area and work with residents on accessibility.