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Evansville tweaks crack‑sealing specs after rider safety concerns; project aims to extend pavement life
Summary
Board approved advertisement for a pavement crack‑sealing project and a specs change (squeegee shape and material) intended to reduce motorcycle instability; staff estimated properly targeted sealing could extend pavement life 5–8 years.
The Evansville Board of Public Works on Sept. 5 approved advertising for bids on Project 24‑016‑2025, a pavement crack‑sealing contract that city staff said targets roads suited to sealing rather than temporary patching.
City staff described changes to the application specs — modifying the squeegee to a more pointed, inverted‑V shape and shifting to a more durable, less flexible material — after reports that the previous treatment produced bumps that affected motorcycle riders. "Hopefully, crack sealing on this kind of time frame will give us 5 to 8 more years before we have to mill and overlay it," a staff member said to the board.
A board member noted motorcycle rider complaints about wobbling caused by the prior application; staff said they consulted motorcycle units in EPD (Evansville Police Department) to confirm the issue and adjusted the spec to reduce the bump effect. The board approved the advertisement and the specification changes by voice vote.
Staff estimated the change is a modest cost adjustment and characterized the approach as a shift from last year’s stopgap measures to a longer‑life program; no exact additional cost was listed in the meeting record.
