Florence rolls out pavement-condition mapping and approves cooperative pavement-preservation contract

The Florence Town Council on Jan. 6 heard a demonstration of a new pavement-condition mapping program and approved a cooperative-use pavement-preservation contract to help prioritize and preserve town streets.

Public works staff demonstrated a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) program using vehicle-mounted scanning equipment and software (RMT) that maps pavement quality across the town. The presentation said five town vehicles are currently equipped with scanners and forward-facing cameras; data are processed and uploaded geospatially to a dashboard that breaks roads into segments and assigns PCI scores (green = very good; red = poor). The town-wide average PCI reported in the demonstration was 65.

Why it matters: The program provides analytical data to help the town prioritize maintenance, choose treatments (for example, high-density mineral bond vs. chip seal) and maximize the useful life of pavement assets. Staff said the technology allows recurring automatic scans without hiring an external consultant each year, which they estimated would cost roughly $100,000 versus an internal cost of about $12,000 per year for the current arrangement.

Contract approved: Council approved a cooperative-use contract using City of Mesa contract No. 202-2159 with Holbrook Asphalt Company (contract amount not to exceed $1,500,000) for pavement preservation services. Town staff said the request is for a multi-year (three-year as presented) agreement to provide flexibility for scheduling and response to availability, weather and project sequencing. The contract is intended for HA5 pavement-preservation treatments applied to asphalt roads (not chip-sealed main-street sections), with initial project areas highlighted including First Street and Sunrise Estates Phase 2.

Technical details from the presentation: Staff said the PCI tool records evidence (photographs and defect mapping), reports segment-level PCI scores (e.g., sample segments scored in the low 70s), and can generate historical trend data as the town collects more scans. Staff noted the tool will help determine when to intervene — for example, crack sealing or slurry treatments — before deterioration requires full reclamation. The presenter said roads typically are modeled on a 20-year useful life and that preventative treatments extend useful life; the software also tracks patch repairs, which show PCI increases after maintenance.

Council discussion: Council members praised the technology as a cost-effective asset-management tool. Vice Mayor Adam asked about the difference between outsourcing a one-time survey and the town’s ongoing approach; staff replied that an outside survey could be far more expensive and that the in-house scanning creates an ongoing baseline and a lower recurring cost. Council asked that staff use PCI data alongside traffic volume and functional classification when prioritizing projects.

What to watch: Staff said they will continue data collection and return with more detailed project recommendations and cost estimates as the PCI database grows. The council approved the cooperative-use contract by voice vote; staff indicated existing pavement preservation budget lines support planned work this year but noted out-year funding will depend on future budgets.

Contract action (recorded): Cooperative use contract with Holbrook Asphalt Company (City of Mesa contract No. 202-2159), amount not to exceed $1,500,000; motion passed by voice vote (aye).