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Repairs ongoing to Highway 1
Water potential culprit behind surface breakdown

Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, August 11, 2011

DEH CHO
According to officials with the Department of Transportation, water is one of the potential factors behind the failure of portions of chipseal that was put on Highway 1 last year.

NNSL photo/graphic

The failure of portions of chipseal that was laid last year has left drivers facing 30 km of rough surface breaks on Highway 1. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

In 2010, 40 kilometres of chipseal was laid beginning at the junction of highways 1 and 3 and stretching toward Fort Simpson. This year, between $400,000 and $500,000 is being spent to repair sections where the chipseal has broken apart, and to improve drainage.

Approximately 10 per cent of the chipseal has failed, said Kevin McLeod, the director of highways and marine services with the department.

Moisture could be behind the breakdown of the chipseal. Chipseal needs to be laid on a dry base and needs a period of approximately 10 days of hot, dry weather for the oil that binds the chips to cure, said McLeod.

Rainfall, water in the roadbed and even moisture present on humid days can contaminate the process.

"Oil and water certainly don't mix," he said.

McLeod said there aren't enough optimal days of weather in the territory during a summer to lay all of the chipseal that is scheduled. Decisions are made in the field as to whether chipseal is laid at any particular time, he said.

The chipseal on Highway 1 was laid near the end of the road construction season which tends to be a rainier time, he said. Both the territorial government and RTL Robinson Enterprises Ltd., the contractor that laid the chipseal, have accepted some responsibility for the performance of the chipseal.

The cost of repairs are being shared between the two, although a breakdown hasn't been calculated yet.

In addition to water, if the road base isn't up to proper standards, it can also cause problems, McLeod said. In those cases, the territorial government is responsible.

Repairs to the chipseal began in late June and are expected to finish by the end of August or mid-September. Areas with high moisture content are being dug up and replaced with drier material. Areas are also being examined to see if culverts are needed, said McLeod.

Although some new chipseal has been laid, most areas will be re-chipped next year.

"Now we're on borrowed construction time," he said.

Chipseal is normally expected to last five years although some in the territory has withstood 15 years. When chipseal lasts less than a year and a half, the way in which it was laid needs to be rethought, said McLeod.

Originally 70 km of chipseal were scheduled to be laid on Highway 1 in 2010. The 30 km that weren't completed were moved to this year.

McLeod said his aim is to make the surface of the highway as safe and secure as possible. McLeod said he won't lay chipseal if it will make it more unsafe, preferring instead to deal with water issues, wait a year for the road to settle down and then chip it when conditions are perfect.

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