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Carmel Street Department to boost neighborhood paving after $8.6M increase; StreetScan, crack sealing and liquid surface treatments planned
Summary
Project manager Ryan Mert told Carmel HOA leaders the city increased paving funds to $8.6 million this year, will prioritize more non-main-road/HOA streets (about 65% of planned work), use objective StreetScan PCI scores to select segments and expand crack sealing and liquid surface treatments to extend pavement life.
Ryan Mert, project manager for the Carmel Street Department, briefed CNAN on the city’s multi-year paving program, new technology being used to select work, and changes in maintenance strategy.
Funding and priorities: Mert said the mayor and council increased the road tax allocation for paving from $5 million last year to $8.6 million this year. That increase will let the city shift a larger share of work to neighborhood streets: Mert said the planned mix for the current cycle is roughly 65% HOA/neighborhood (non-main roads) and 35% main roads, with the program balancing work over a five-year view.
How streets are chosen: Carmel uses a vendor called StreetScan, which mounts laser sensors on a vehicle to measure cracking severity, roughness and other defects and returns a PCI (pavement condition index) score. Mert said the city scans every two years, uses a degradation model between scans and then groups similarly rated management sections so neighborhoods are improved more homogeneously rather than piecemeal.
Treatment changes and lifespan extension: The street department has expanded crack sealing and begun testing a liquid surface treatment product (marketed as "Liquid Road") on select neighborhoods; Mert said properly timed crack sealing and surface treatments can extend pavement life by roughly 20–30% for appropriately aged streets. He described a typical work sequence: concrete repairs and ADA ramp upgrades; followed in weeks by milling and paving to limit future failures.
Specific projects and jurisdictional notes: Mert cautioned that some projects are controlled by other agencies. The 116th Street bridge over Cool Creek is a Hamilton County project and outside city control; he expected tree removal and county-led work in the spring. The Keystone/106th bridge repair was described as on track to start in May with intermittent lane closures and night work planned. A proposed AAA Way roundabout has been delayed while utilities (notably Duke Energy) relocate infrastructure.
Maintenance responsibilities: Mert reiterated that curb-to-curb or right-of-way to right-of-way on main roads is city responsibility; sidewalks immediately in front of single-family lots are generally homeowner or HOA responsibility under city ordinance. Attendees also reported recurring confusion over ownership of decorative signs, light poles and the appropriate source for police crash reports; Mert said ownership and GIS records should clarify responsibilities and the city would follow up with signage and communications.
Ending: Mert said a formal paving news release and detailed map would be posted in about two weeks and welcomed direct email questions about whether a particular neighborhood would be in this year’s contract.
