Roadwork hits busy 16th St. this week

With oil seal work coming to a busy stretch of 16th Street this Friday through Sunday, Yuma officials remind motorists to take additional travel time or consider an alternate route.

As part of the city’s pavement preservation program, work will take place on 16th Street between Arizona Avenue and Interstate 8 this Friday and Sunday, so motorists may wish to leave earlier for their destinations or use another route to get there.

Crews will work on westbound lanes starting on Friday. Lane restrictions are expected to cause delays. Work takes place generally between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., with some weekend and night work possible to minimize impact to busier streets.

Those traveling in the work zones are asked to drive courteously and respect traffic control devices for safety.

The Yuma Public Works Department’s spring pavement preservation work began last month with the goal of improving driving surfaces and extending pavement life spans.

This round of work, expected to run through this week, includes the application of 22.4 miles of slurry seal and about 1.5 miles of oil sealant.

High temperatures and sunny weather in Arizona oxidizes the oils in asphalt, causing road surfaces to become brittle and develop cracks and potholes. These cracks provide a place for moisture to reach the pavement base, which can lead to faster and more extensive deterioration.

To keep Yuma’s roads in good condition and extend their lifespan, the city conducts major surface treatments twice a year – in the spring and fall. Surface treatments include oil, slurry and chip sealants.

“While lane and street closures may cause temporary inconveniences once completed, the roadways will not only look better, they will have an extended life span and be safer for drivers,” the city stated in a news release.

Message boards will notify motorists in the areas prior to work, and the city’s contactors will contact impacted properties 48-hours prior to scheduled maintenance with door hangers that indicate the dates, time and area of the roadwork.

In addition, the city notified the public of roadway maintenance through the weekly Road Report published in the Sunday edition of the Yuma Sun and available on the city website: www.yumaaz.gov/ government/public-works/ pavement-preservation.