City Chip Seal Project to start this month

A chip sealing project in the City of Three Forks is expected to start on Monday, July 8.

In March, the Three Forks City Council approved a bid award for the project to Hollow Contracting Inc. for $286,785.35.

According to City Officials, this will be the first chip-sealing project in the city in about a decade.

Street sweeping is underway, and City officials are asking residents to please move vehicles off the affected streets.

The Streets that are part of the project include:

1. 1st Avenue East

2. All the paved streets between Main Street and 2nd Avenue E (all connecting to 1st Avenue East)

3. Cottonwood Street

4. East Oak (by the school/N. 2nd Avenue East)

5. W. Birch Street (by the Iron Horse)

6. W. Cedar Street (side of Museum & M&W area)

7. California (road to the Post Office)

8. West Elm Street

9. West Grove Street

10. West Hickory Street

11. 1-block paved area of 2nd Avenue West between West Grove & West Hickory Streets

12. 1-block paved area of 1st Avenue West between West Grove & West Hickory Streets

13. Front Street

14. Oregon Street

15. Linda Lane

16. Colter Trail & Camas Court

BACKGROUND

Mayor Randy Johnston said the city used to do it every three years and the streets need a good seal.

Before the vote in March, City Councilmember and Streets & Alley Committee member Garret Buchanan said they decided not to go with a "fancy oil" for the project. He said this type of oil would only be applicable if they were trying to get people back on the road in the shortest amount of time as possible, hours instead of a day.

He added that the areas that will be chip sealed are high-traffic areas, but it won't dispute the traffic flow for longer than the project's short duration.

"The difference between 20 percent faster drying time is really not applicable for Three Forks. If it was a major freeway, it'd be worth it. But I don't think it be worth quite that much money," he said.

The estimated cost of savings from not using the faster drying oil is $16,000.

Buchanan said they also went with the lowest bidder, which would save the city $20,000.

"I'm glad we were able to do something," Johnston said.