Gilroy saved $80,000 when it repaved Rossi Lane in an attempt to
go green.
Gilroy saved $80,000 when it repaved Rossi Lane in an attempt to go green.
Wednesday’s partnership with Fonseca/McElroy Grinding adapted new methods of road construction that is environmentally friendly and cost efficient, according to FMG supervisor Jack Wu and Todd Barreras, city operations supervisor manager.
Resurfacing a road normally would cost $200,000, according to David Stubchaer, City of Gilroy senior civil engineer. But the Cold-In-Place Recycling method used on Rossi Lane cost Gilroy $120,000, he said.
The savings in repairs was due to Gilroy being the first in Santa Clara County to try the procedure.
“The road is in really bad condition,” Stubchaer said. “And this is an addition to other work we have planned.”
The new method utilizes four inches of old asphalt that is mixed with a foaming agent to create a surface that, when combined with a protective overlay, is more sustainable to the environment.
“One of the benefits is that you are not off hauling the material into a landfill,” Wu said. “Also you are saving the surrounding streets from the wear and tear.”
The overlay will be applied next week, which is not a problem since the road can still be used, he said.
The new process takes one day of blocking off the road, which can be used again at the end of the day, Barreras said.
Normal resurfacing methods involve the removal of six inches of road and replacing it with new asphalt – a project that can take a week to finish.
Funding came from the city’s road maintenance budget, Stubchaer said.
A $614,000 federal grant from the Valley Transportation Authority will be used for road repairs for portions of Wren Avenue and Church Street, said Don Dey, the City of Gilroy’s transportation engineer.
What repaving method the city will use is undetermined.
“If the demonstration ends up doing well for the city, we will entertain the idea of doing the same for Wren and Church,” Dey said.
