More than half of the streets in Roanoke Rapids need some maintenance, a 2009 pavement condition report notes.

The report, prepared by Public Works Director Richard Parnell, says patching, crack pouring and resurfacing needs in the city total $1,370,304.

With an endorsement from city council and city administration, Parnell is expected to get $200,000 in the upcoming fiscal year to address some of those concerns with $35,000 going to address problems on Rosemary Street, one of the few unpaved roads in Roanoke Rapids. The rest will go to resurfacing projects which should improve some 2 to 2.5 miles of roads in the city, the public works director said during a tour requested by rrspin.com. Public Works is still determining the priorities.

Parnell said he is appreciative of the proposed budget, which will allow some resurfacing. “Every year we put it off, the costs go up.”

If funding continues at or above the level projected for the upcoming fiscal year, Parnell believes the remainder of improvements can be done in the next five to six years.

One of the problems currently being addressed is potholes, a term which is not found in the report but is used as a catchall in the public to describe holes created by alligator cracking and block and transverse cracking.

Potholes have been a huge problem this fiscal year with more than 200 reported at locations throughout the city.

“Winter time is the worst time,” Parnell said. “We had a hard winter. It was a wet winter. It was not an extremely cold winter. We were not performing routine maintenance because the short budget put us behind. If you don’t maintain streets every year the cost goes up five to eight percent.”

While the street department is budgeted for 13 people, four are having to do other jobs, but work on filling the potholes is being done with the city providing the list to a private contractor, which has the advantage of having its own asphalt plant.

Asphalt, however, is not a longterm solution, Parnell explained. “Alligator cracking is the result of a bad base. It’s like a sponge, there’s no support or strength. Asphalt is for ride quality ... Alligator cracking is how potholes begin.”

The patching is a temporary solution and Parnell hopes the measures to fill the potholes will last until streets can be resurfaced.

The city is looking at $25,000 for crack pouring where sediment is blasted with a hot air lance and a rubberized material is placed which keeps water from penetrating the base material.

In the report, Parnell notes about 11 percent of the streets in the city have alligator cracking, which is the most severe pavement distress. Of that 11 percent, 1.3 percent was noted to be from moderate to severe.

More than 69 percent of the streets show degrees of block and transverse cracking with 52.3 percent noted to be moderate to severe.

According to the state Department of Transportation, block cracks divide the pavement up into roughly rectangular pieces. Block cracking is not load-associated. Cracks are generally caused by shrinkage of the asphalt concrete and daily temperature cycling. Wheel path loads can increase the severity of block cracking if water is allowed to penetrate into the cracks. It is therefore very important to seal these cracks to prevent water penetration into the base materials, the state says.

Parnell also notes in the report a significant amount of raveling and rutting was noted, the majority being light and doesn’t currently require maintenance.

Minor sections of reflective cracking, slightly rough ride quality and patching were also reported.

The state Department of Transportation says the primary causes of reflective cracking are movement of the concrete slab beneath resurfacing because of thermal and moisture changes and faulting at joints. Typically, the reflective joints are bulged above the riding surface such that the vehicle is riding over small bumps.