Street Paving Scheduled to Begin in May for Neighborhoods East of MD 355

The city is scheduled to resurface roads in the East Rockville and Twinbrook neighborhoods, beginning in mid-May and continuing for about four months, depending on the weather.

“No parking” signs will be posted within 48 hours of the start of work. Temporary traffic stoppages are necessary for safety but should have minimal impact on traffic. The schedule is subject to change based on weather conditions and coordination with other utility work.

Paving occurs in three phases and will take place between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. The first phase involves milling, to grind down the existing asphalt surface. Street access may be blocked for five- to 10-minute periods to move equipment or work near driveways. Residents are asked to follow flagger directions and be patient. A vacuum sweeper truck will closely follow the milling operation to remove loose material.

The second phase involves lowering or raising existing utilities, such as manholes and water valves, to the new street grade, and patching and repairing the asphalt base. This work may begin before the first phase is complete.

In the third phase, new asphalt is placed from curb to curb. This moves more slowly than the milling operation and may have greater impact on access to and from driveways. Immediately before placing the hot asphalt, the contractor will spray a tack coat of liquid asphalt onto the street surface in segments about 500 feet ahead of the paving machine. Do not attempt to drive through this liquid asphalt, as it may damage tires, stick to vehicles and be tracked onto driveways.

The new asphalt surface is applied at a high temperature – generally about 200 degrees. It is immediately rolled for compaction, cools quickly and is safe to drive on about 10 minutes after compaction rolling is complete. If paving operations are close to your driveway, check with the construction crew before attempting to drive onto the street. Pedestrians should use extreme caution and children should never be allowed to play around the new surface on the day it is placed.

Rockville streets are evaluated and maintained through the asphalt maintenance program, which is funded annually through the city’s Capital Improvements Program. Rockville repaves streets to create a smoother drive for motorists and to preserve the integrity of roads.

Visit www.rockvillemd.gov/street-repairs to learn more and find updated paving schedules.