The City of Salem is committed to keeping our streets safe and smooth. Each summer, City crews and contractors perform various pavement maintenance treatments as part of the street rehabilitation program. These treatments may include crack sealing, slurry sealing, cape sealing, chip sealing, asphalt overlay and asphalt mill and inlay.

Street Selection

The City uses a Pavement Management System to identify streets in need of maintenance. After the system generates a list, a City employee inspects each street to determine the most cost-effective and appropriate treatment.

Treatment Types

• Crack Sealing: Fills and seals cracks in pavement to prevent water intrusion and extend pavement life.
• Slurry Sealing: Applies a mixture of asphalt emulsion, fine aggregate, and additives to protect and renew pavement surfaces.
• Chip Sealing: Applies a layer of asphalt binder and aggregate chips to protect and enhance the road surface.
• Cape Sealing: Combines a chip seal followed by a slurry seal to improve surface durability and skid resistance.
• Asphalt Overlay: Adds an additional layer of asphalt to restore surface quality.
• Asphalt Mill and Inlay: Removes the top layer of damaged pavement and replaces it with new asphalt to restore surface quality.

What to Expect During Construction

• Traffic Control: Traffic control can range from coned off vehicles, flagging, soft street closures (local traffic only), to full street closures (no vehicle traffic allowed).
• Notice: Residents will be notified before work begins. Notification can take place through the website on the pavement maintenance page, signing, reader boards, and/or direct mailing, depending on the scope of the maintenance work and proposed treatment. For full street closures, written notices will be sent 72 hours in advance.
• Delays: Expect some delays and use caution around work zones.
• Parking and Access: Parking may be restricted from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please park outside “NO PARKING” zones on nearby streets. Streets can be impacted for a varying range of time depending on the maintenance treatment, typical ranges are from 1-3 days. If work is rescheduled, you will receive a new notice 72 hours before.
• Access for Services: Mail delivery, emergency services, public transportation, and garbage collection will continue with accommodations made for street closures.

Avoiding Water Damage

Water can affect treatment effectiveness. Please avoid watering lawns, washing cars, or allowing water to enter the street while work is ongoing. If it rains, work will be rescheduled with a 72-hour notice.

Small Rocks Along Street Edges

After treatment, small loose rocks may appear along street edges. This is normal and temporary. As vehicles drive over the surface, rocks will move to the edges and be cleaned up by City street sweepers during regular routes.