Welcome to Skagit County

June 19, 2018

Countywide road chip seal program planned to start the week of June 25

With the return of warm weather comes the return of Skagit County's chip seal program. Starting next week, crews hope to begin work to chip seal roads across the county.

Drivers near Bow can expect to see the first crews starting work Monday, June 25 - depending on the weather. Maintenance crews will continue prep work on Guemes Island. No work is planned for July 4 through July 8.

Crews can only chip seal in one district at a time, and work is weather-dependent; work will move around all three road maintenance districts throughout the summer.

"Lane closures and reduced speed limits can be an inconvenience for folks who are commuting to work or other summer activities," said public works director Dan Berentson. "Getting our chip sealing work completed this summer helps smooth out rough areas and preserve our roads so we can avoid expensive repairs or emergency closures."

Chip sealing is a multi-step process: This spring, crews have worked around the county to remove sod and add gravel near the edge of the road, and repair any major areas of damage. The actual chip seal work is the next step: Crews close one lane of the road, then spread a thin layer of asphalt oil over the entire road followed by a layer of fine rock chips. Crews roll the rock into the asphalt so everything sticks together, then sweep off the loose debris. It takes several days for the new road surface to cure, which is why the speed limit is temporarily lowered to 25 mph. Find a video explaining the process online: www.facebook.com/SkagitCountyWA/videos/10156447567965746

For a complete list of all of the roads to be chip sealed in 2018, visit www.skagitcounty.net/PublicWorksRoadMaintenance. Click on District 1, 2, or 3 for roads in your area. Weekly updates can also be found on the Skagit County Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SkagitCountyWA.

For questions or more details, please contact Road Maintenance at pw@co.skagit.wa.us or 360-416-1480.