Public Works
Public Works Blog
Will the chip sealing crew be in your area this summer?
Posted On: June 15, 2020
Chelan County road crews have been busy prepping roadways scheduled for chip sealing this year. If you look closely, there are some tell-tale signs that the crews will be on your road in the coming weeks.
The first clue may be the sight of crack sealing on your roadway. That spidery black sealant over roadway cracking means the crew may have been by recently (you may have even seen them working). Crack sealing is done to prep a road for chip sealing.
Driving along a road, you may also spot another clue. Crews have been putting utility ID locators and coverings over utility cases and lids to protect them from the oil products we apply during chip sealing (see the photo above). They are removed a couple of weeks after a road is chip sealed.
The coverings and lids include a 3-inch rubber piece that sticks out from the stop of the cases. While the coverings may look like a spike, really they are just a piece of rubber. So no need to dodge them in the roadway.
The third clue is right on our website, where we've posted the information for you.
The list of roads up for chip sealing this year is available in a couple of places on our website. We’ve mapped them out on GIS (both 2020 and 2021 preservation roads) as well as provided them in PDF form. Our Pavement Preservation Program page also goes over what to expect when the crew is in your neighborhood. And, if you’d like a map of the road districts, we have that online as well.
This year, the crew will start chip sealing the week of June 22. Road crews will begin in the Cashmere District and then make their way to the Leavenworth District. After Leavenworth, they will head to the Chelan District and then wrap up in the Wenatchee District.
Crews expect to complete chip sealing in early August; however, weather and equipment performance may delay or change that schedule. Some years, wildfires have also impacted our schedule. We will try to post weekly to our Facebook page to let you know where the crews are working.
When you do come upon a road preservation crew, please use caution. Flaggers will be directing traffic, which will be at one lane. There are always some traffic delays with preservation, but they are minor. If you can, it’s best to avoid a roadway while the preservation crew works.
Older Articles
Road crews hit the road with COVID precautions in place
Posted On: June 04, 2020
Chelan County road crews are back on the road in full force after more than two months of working with reduced crew sizes during the governor’s Stay H...
Read More arrow_forwardHeaded to the MRWF? Secure that load for safe travels!
Posted On: December 11, 2019
The new Chelan County Moderate Risk Waste Facility is open to the public. The facility is at 3612 Highway 97A in Wenatchee....
Read More arrow_forwardCode of the West: A reminder that life is different in the country
Posted On: September 06, 2019
The Code of the West was adopted in 2002 by Chelan County commissioners. It is not a formal code, but rather a philosophy or friendly advice for peopl...
Read More arrow_forwardIt's always wise to stay off the (wet) lines
Posted On: June 18, 2019
Roadway striping plays a valuable role in efforts to keep travelers safe on the roadway. The Traffic Safety crew of Chelan County Public Works re-stri...
Read More arrow_forwardIn an emergency, don't let your address delay help from reaching you
Posted On: January 15, 2019
Have you ever asked yourself the question: When seconds count, how easily will emergency responders be able to find my home? Learn how your address ma...
Read More arrow_forwardWinter is coming -- it's time to remove any vehicles parked along the roadside
Posted On: November 08, 2018
With Chelan County Public Works now preparing for winter and the inevitable snowfall that will come with it, our road crews are asking residents to re...
Read More arrow_forwardPreserving a piece of Cashmere's history
Posted On: October 22, 2018
Those people interested in giving the West Cashmere Bridge a new home -- and preserving its history -- have until Jan. 1, 2019, to contact Chelan Coun...
Read More arrow_forwardNeed wood chips? Pick them up at the Chelan Transfer Station
Posted On: September 07, 2018
Free shredded wood chips are available at the Chelan Transfer Station until about early October....
Read More arrow_forwardCounty to build year-round moderate risk waste facility
Posted On: September 07, 2018
Chelan County is in the process of opening a facility – called a moderate risk waste facility – that will be open year round to residents in need of s...
Read More arrow_forward2018 road preservation project revs up
Posted On: May 03, 2018
The 2018 Road Preservation Program is underway throughout Chelan County. Read about the list of roadways in the preservation program this year....
Read More arrow_forward