The Ottawa County Road Commission will be starting its annual seal coat (chip seal) surfacing program on Monday, June 21, weather permitting.

The Road Commission will begin its 2021 program in Robinson Township.

Starting Monday and working throughout the week, the tentative schedule is as follows:

136th Ave. — North Cedar Dr. south to end
132nd Ave. — North Cedar Dr. south to end
128th Ave. — Lincoln St. to Green St.
Sleeper St. — 128th Ave. to 120th Ave.
120th Ave. — Lincoln St. to North Cedar Dr.
Rich St. — 144th Ave. to 120th Ave.
112th Ave. — Buchanan St. to Lincoln St.

Once crews have finished up in Robinson, they will then move on to streets in Allendale Township, and once done there, they will progress to Olive Township. 

For a complete list of streets to be seal coat surfaced this year, visit our Construction Projects website.

What is seal coat (chip seal)?

A chip seal is an application of a binder in the form of an emulsion or hot spray and an application of an aggregate. Chip seals protect and preserve, and extend pavement life, resulting in a pavement that is better to drive on, look at, and will cost less to maintain in the long run.

A chip seal will not increase the strength of existing pavement; however, chip seal will prolong the life of the pavement by providing a protective coating.

Chip sealing is a multi-stage process. After the surface has been prepared by patching areas that are cracked or loose, a thin layer of emulsion or tack oil is applied. Then, a layer of aggregate is applied by a truck with a chip spreader. Then, several passes from a roller are made to compact the aggregate.

The road is usually opened to traffic after sweeping or may be opened to slow-moving traffic immediately.

The OCRC will return in several weeks to perform a second step in this process, applying a fog seal atop the newly chip sealed road.

Please note that all dates are tentative and subject to change due to weather and other factors.