CAMPO presentation shows decline in local pavement conditions; 2024 survey pinpoints priority segments

Kelly Norman, senior transportation planner for the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, told the board April 9 that a pavement condition index (PCI) survey completed in December 2024 shows a decline in pavement health across Carson City and highlights sections that may soon need full reconstruction.

The survey, paid for with planning funds under the Unified Planning Work Program task 5 and performed by AP Tech, found that 57% of Carson City roadways are now in the good–satisfactory–fair PCI range (PCI 86–100 to lower thresholds), down from 63% in 2022. By contrast, roughly 42% of streets are now classified as poor, very poor or serious — an increase from 36% in 2022. Norman said less than 1% of roads were in the “failed” category in 2024, compared with 0.5% in 2022.

"13% of roads in Carson City are within this good PCI range, which is between a PCI of 86 and 100," Norman said while showing example photos of a high-PCI segment on Airport Road and a failed segment on Asphalt Drive. She said AP Tech updated the pavement deterioration curve and will estimate future pavement conditions through 2050 to inform prioritization.

Board members and staff reviewed specific segments that showed the greatest PCI decreases and increases. Norman pointed out that Presti Avenue improved from a PCI of about 50 to 91 after slurry work funded with District 1 ARPA money; Mountain Avenue was improved with District 5 funding. The presentation noted that Racetrack Road in District 3 now sits near a PCI of 58 — a range where slurry treatment may help temporarily but the segment could soon deteriorate below the threshold and need full reconstruction.

Chris Martinovich, transportation manager, warned that a form of surface deterioration called "raveling" can drive PCI declines even when underlying structure appears intact. "That surface texture was having a lot of influence on the way the survey data was being collected," Martinovich said, and staff will monitor trends and consider modifying pavement mix designs or structural sections (for example, increasing a structural section from three inches to four) for new construction.

John Erb, speaking for Douglas County, reminded the board that the PCI covers only paved roads and excludes streets composed of recycled asphalt grindings; he said Douglas County has about 43 miles of such grinding roads that are not captured in the PCI map. "So there's a lot of missing streets in the Johnson Lane and North County areas that aren't on here," Erb said, urging users to note that the map reflects paved roads only.

Norman said staff will add the PCI layer to the public map geo site and the CAMPO website and will prepare a targeted presentation on District 3 prioritization for an upcoming RTC meeting. AP Tech will also provide future-condition estimates to help prioritize projects under the pavement management plan.

Board members repeatedly linked the survey findings to funding decisions and preventive maintenance timing. Several members emphasized that there is a maintenance window — for example, crack sealing and slurry applications — that can substantially extend pavement life if applied before segments cross into the full-reconstruction thresholds.

The presentation materials and data will be made available to partner agencies for project prioritization and to inform local budgeting discussions.