Road resurfacing and repairs

Belconnen

Central

Gungahlin

Tuggeranong

Woden, Weston Creek and Molonglo

Rural

Preparing for road works in your area

Resealing work on residential streets is usually completed in a day. As crews work on multiple streets per day, the work may start any time between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.

In some cases, when work is unable to be completed by the end of a day, the work may continue the following day. Most residential streets will only have work crews on site for several hours. If there are delays (e.g. due to weather) or machinery breakdowns, the work may need to be rescheduled to the next day.

If works are happening in your area you will receive a letter a week before they start. There will also be signage once the works begin.

While works are underway, please keep your:

• car parked in your driveway
• pets away from the road.

Do not use sprinklers to water your verge before the works begin as the road needs to be dry.

We need to prepare the road before resurfacing to help remove some existing defects and extend the pavement life. Preparation works may include patching, crack sealing, concrete kerb repairs, tree trimming and street sweeping.

Types of resurfacing

The ACT Government uses a number of different road resurfacing treatments, including:

• Asphalt: placing a uniform layer of a mix of bitumen and aggregate on the road which is compacted while still hot. This treatment significantly strengthens the pavement and is ideal for placing on intersections, roundabouts and smaller patches. Vehicles can drive over the road once the material has been compacted. Depending on treatment used and the traffic volume on the road, it can extend the life of the road by 10 to 30 years.
• Resealing: applying a bituminous liquid evenly over the road surface covered with aggregate which is rolled to achieve better adhesion. This can be applied multiple times to increase the surface life, provide a smoother surface and reduce road noise. The life of the surface treatment can vary between 5 to 15 years for arterial roads with high traffic and 25 years for streets with lower speeds and traffic volumes.
• Microsurfacing: applying a thin layer of bitumen and aggregate manufactured on site. This treatment relies on the strength of the original pavement and will reflect cracks in the pavement. It can take one to three hours for the material to cure enough for the road to be ready to use. The finished product has a smooth surface.
• Cape seal: a reseal with a layer of microsurfacing placed over the top to reduce noise emissions.
• Rejuvenation: spraying a petroleum-based product onto the pavement to protect it from oxidation and extend pavement life. This can extend the life of the existing pavement by 5 to 10 years.
• Thin open graded asphalt surfacing: a thin asphalt surfacing with some reduced strength compared with other treatments. This product is often used on surfaces with excess bitumen or poor skid resistance. This can extend the life of the road by about 15 years.

Night road works

The major roads throughout the ACT are not subjected to road maintenance noise restrictions.  As such, at these locations, road maintenance activities can be undertaken 24 hours a day.  Other roads throughout the ACT are subject to noise restrictions as detailed on the Access Canberra Noise standards page.

At times, road works may be undertaken at night to limit the effects on daytime traffic. Another reason for undertaking night works is to reduce the impact on the work crews in hot conditions.

Works at night near residential areas will generate noise and impact nearby residents. To minimise the impact of noise, smaller projects which only take a single night are preferred.

If night works are being undertaken in your area, you will be notified in advance either by letter or signage on the road.

After road works are complete

As soon as the traffic controllers open the road you can drive on the road. A road reseal is normally completed in one day. Sweeping will be undertaken over the following week and line markings reinstated in the following month.

There may be loose stones on the street in the days that follow. Our team will start removing loose stones the day after your street has been resealed.

Over the following weeks the sweeper will return several times to remove loose stones and then again over winter as required as the colder weather frees up more loose stones.

Some residual loose stones are required in the first few days to ensure a good cover is achieved in the resurfacing process. Over time these will become embedded into the pavement surface or be removed by the street sweeping process.

Over the next 12 months the stones on the road will pack down under traffic to produce a smoother surface.

When a road is initially resealed the noise generated by the traffic becomes more noticeable. The removal of the loose stones following the resealing will reduce the noise generated. Over time the stones will reorient themselves and the road noise will decrease.

Allergies to petroleum-based products

If you are allergic to petroleum-based products such as bitumen, kerosene and diesel, close the windows of your house and stay inside. If your allergies are severe you may want to consider being away from your house while the work is undertaken.

Contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81 if you are concerned about an allergy. A member of the resurfacing project team will contact you.

Damage to cars

If the bitumen has damaged your car, use citrus-based products to dissolve the bitumen and wash this off with soap and warm water.

If your car has been damaged by driving over the new surface, you should contact your insurance company in the first instance and make a claim on your policy.

In most cases vehicles are damaged by a passing vehicle travelling at a speed above the posted speed limit, but in cases where the damage is done by a contractor, we will review your claim.

This will involve assessing if you have a claim and then determining the value of the claim. The assessment will take at least 2 weeks.

You will need to supply the following documents:

• The location of the incident
• The date and time that the incident occurred
• Details about how the damage occurred
• A written quote for repairs
• Photos of the damage

Contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81 to report that your vehicle has been damaged by resurfacing works. A team member will contact you to assist with the process.