Consultants tell Crest Hill council pavement condition improved; reaching target condition would require roughly double current funding

The Crest Hill City Council opened a public hearing May 4 on updates to the city’s pavement management program and heard a data-driven presentation from Applied Pavement Technology, CMAP and the city engineer.

City engineer Ron Wiedemann introduced the consultants, who described a 2025 pavement inventory and condition rating that produced an area-weighted pavement condition index (PCI) of 61 across the city’s roughly 51 centerline miles. ‘‘That puts the city in fair condition,’’ the consultant said, noting the network PCI rose from 51 in 2020 to 61 in 2025.

Luis Abaha, program manager for Applied Pavement Technology, summarized the methods and scenarios used to forecast the network’s condition. He said data collection used imagery and laser measurements, validated by trained surveyors, and that areas are categorized on a 0–100 PCI scale. ‘‘With the current budget of $3,350,000 a year, incorporating a 4% inflation assumption, the model forecasts a modest increase in network PCI (to about 63 over five years),’’ Abaha said. He added that to reach a network PCI of 70 — a level described in the presentation as the target for satisfactory network condition — the city would need an estimated $6.7 million per year; eliminating the backlog entirely was modeled at roughly $11.3 million per year.

Abaha also broke out lower‑cost maintenance options. He said localized maintenance work identified about 95 sections with very low PCI that could be patched or leveled for roughly $90,000 total; preventive maintenance (crack sealing and localized patching) covered about 168 sections for an estimated $31,000, representing high value for comparatively low cost. ‘‘If you delay preservation, you end up paying four to five dollars later for every $1 spent now,’’ Abaha said, summarizing the standard life‑cycle tradeoff.

Councilors asked for context and cost detail. One council member asked whether a 10‑point increase in five years was typical; the consultant said it was a large increase and credited recent investments and targeted work. On unit costs, the consultant gave illustrative ranges from about $4 per square foot (hot‑in‑place recycling) to about $15 per square foot (full reconstruction of an arterial).

The presentation recommended annually updating the pavement management database and unit costs, and conducting condition updates every three to five years so scenario forecasts remain meaningful. The council closed the public hearing at 7:26 p.m.; no members of the public commented during the hearing.