Slurry-Seal Projects Resume After Storm-Driven Delays, City Says

By Editor, Times of San Diego

April 18, 2023

San Diego street repair crews will begin slurry seal projects on streets in Bankers Hill, Linda Vista and Pacific Beach over the next several weeks, city officials said Tuesday.

According to the city, slurry sealing is often completed in phases over a period of several days or weeks and there are multiple such projects happening across the city at the same time. This year’s storms delayed road repairs and maintenance, but recent weather conditions have allowed crews to continue the work.

Slurry seal is a pavement preservation method consisting of asphalt emulsion, sand and rock. The mixture is applied to the street surface at an average thickness of a quarter inch, which extends the life of streets that are already in good condition, reducing the need for costly asphalt overlays and reconstruction, the city said.

Among the streets set to have a seal applied:

• Juniper Street from First to Fifth Avenue;
• Via Las Cumbres from Friars Road to Linda Vista Road;
• Kalmia Street from First to Fourth Avenue;
• Ivy Street from First to Fourth;
• Cass Street from Van Nuys to Loring Street;
• Roosevelt Avenue from Jewell Street to Crown Point Drive;
• West Ivy Street from Brant to Front Street; and
• Third Avenue from Kalmia to Fir Street.

A complete list of the street projects can be found at the Project Finder map.

According to the city, streets are selected for resurfacing through a pavement management system that helps to determine when to schedule them for repair. Each street segment is assigned an Overall Condition Index based on the pavement’s roughness and cracks.

The OCI is used in conjunction with other factors, such as traffic volume, road type, maintenance history, other construction projects, and available funding, according to the city. Repairs are often grouped within a neighborhood to include streets that are in similar condition, or performed after other maintenance projects, such as pipeline replacement.

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