A pavement condition assessment presented to Clayton Town Council on Sept. 16 showed a measurable improvement in the town’s street network after several years of sustained funding and targeted treatments.

Steve Lander, director of pavement management for Withers Ravenel, told council the town’s pavement condition index (PCI) improved from 68 in 2019 to about 80 in 2025 after a strategic program of treatments and an annual funding level of $2.5 million. The firm used the FHWA‑recommended long‑term pavement performance (LTPP) methodology and life‑cycle modeling to compare treatment scenarios and to prioritize lower‑cost preventive treatments that keep pavements in good condition longer.

Why it matters: The PCI score determines where limited maintenance dollars buy the most life‑cycle value. The consulting firm recommended keeping the current funding level to maintain an ~80 PCI, while noting that inflation and future cost changes are not modeled in the baseline scenario.

What the presentation covered
- Network: Town maintains about 97 miles of asphalt streets.
- Historical trend: PCI was ~68 in 2019; improved to ~80 in 2025 after increased investment and strategic treatments.
- Funding scenario: With $2.5 million per year, the model projects the network will remain near the current condition for the near term.
- Treatment types explained: rejuvenators (low‑cost surface treatment), microsurfacing (thin overlay), mill & fill and full‑depth reclamation for the most deteriorated pavements; the firm advised earlier, lower‑cost interventions to avoid costly reconstructions.
- Coordination recommendation: Align paving and rehabilitation with utility work to avoid cutting new pavement right after resurfacing.

Quotes
- "The town has 97 miles of asphalt pavement... the pavement condition index was a 68 and that there was a lot of poor streets. So it was brought to council's attention. More money was being allocated towards the roads," said Steve Lander.
- "If this funding amount is gonna keep the network in the condition where you want it," Lander said, "that's the whole idea — to stay high on the curve."

Discussion and next steps
Council asked clarifying questions but took no formal funding action at the meeting. Staff and the consultant emphasized the value of preventive treatments, the need to coordinate with utilities, and recommended continuing the current funding strategy and life‑cycle modeling updates as costs change.

Clarifying details
[{"category":"network_length","detail":"Total asphalt miles in town","value":"97","units":"miles","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Steve Lander"},{"category":"funding","detail":"Current annual pavement funding","value":"2500000","units":"USD","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Steve Lander"},{"category":"pci_change","detail":"PCI change 2019 to 2025","value":"68 to 80","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Steve Lander"}]

Proper names
[{"name":"Withers Ravenel","type":"organization"},{"name":"Federal Highway Administration","type":"agency"},{"name":"LTPP (Long‑Term Pavement Performance)","type":"other"}]

Provenance
{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"seg-2394.175","local_start":0,"local_end":140,"evidence_excerpt":"Mayor, council, thank you for your time this evening... Glad to have Steve Lander back from Withers Ravenel to provide this update tonight.","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"seg-2900.7651","local_start":0,"local_end":160,"evidence_excerpt":"So to wrap this up, you know, it's, kudos to the town for the, PCI improvement. It's, basically an 18% improvement from 2019 to '25...","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]}

Topics
[{"name":"infrastructure","justification":"Pavement condition and street maintenance funding and priorities","scoring":{"topic_relevance":0.95,"depth_score":0.75,"opinionatedness":0.02,"controversy":0.25,"civic_salience":0.75,"impactfulness":0.6,"geo_relevance":1.00}}]

Ending
Staff will work with the consultant to keep life‑cycle modeling updated and to coordinate paving with utility work; council did not change funding at the meeting but heard that the current $2.5 million annual program has driven measurable improvement in network condition.