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Engineer recommends geogrid for Lighthouse Drive; commission directs staff to refine cost and schedule
Summary
Town engineer reported most survey points on Lighthouse Drive are stable but identified a subsurface 'muck' causing differential settlement at a minority of points. Staff presented two repair options — a basic mill-and-overlay (~$125,000) or a geogrid-backed repair (~$175,000) that engineers say could extend pavement life by about 20 years; commissioners directed staff to refine estimates and include the project in next fiscal-year planning.
The town's engineer presented a pavement evaluation for Lighthouse Drive, reporting that survey work found 25 of 31 test points with no meaningful elevation change and six points with minor differences (0.01 to 0.04 feet). The engineer said borings encountered a "muck" or organic layer about 6 to 8 feet below the surface that is probably causing differential settlement.
The engineer described two repair approaches. A standard mill-and-overlay would remove the top asphalt, recompact the base where possible and apply a new surface; engineers cautioned that differential settlement would likely reappear within about five years and require attention within about 10 years. The alternative would remove the rock layer, install a geogrid (a reinforcing textile) across the repair length, replace rock and asphalt; the engineer said geogrid installations have been used for decades and can add roughly 20 years of service compared with a basic overlay.
Cost estimates discussed at the meeting were approximately $125,000 for the mill-and-overlay and about $175,000 for the geogrid option (including contingencies for the presented length). Commissioners discussed doing the work in segments to minimize driveway access disruptions and noted the town's budget cycle: projects typically must be funded in the fiscal-year budget that begins Oct. 1. Several commissioners expressed a preference to pursue the longer-lasting geogrid option, and the commission directed the town manager to shore up a scope of work and refine estimates for formal consideration, likely in the next budget cycle.
The commission did not authorize construction at the meeting; staff said contracting before the budget is approved would be difficult and that the earliest realistic construction window is 2026.
