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Pavement preservation projects scheduled for KY 15 in Breathitt, Wolfe counties

JACKSON, KY – A preventive maintenance project to preserve the driving surface on two segments of KY 15 in Breathitt and Wolfe counties is scheduled to begin on July 21. The work will require reduced speed limits and delays during the project. Travel between the Mountain Parkway and Breathitt, Perry, Knott, and Letcher counties will be affected by the road work.

Application of a cost-effective treatment known as a cape seal to extend the life of the pavement will be done on KY 15 in Breathitt County between milepoints 20.5 and 23.6. This is the older of the two four-lane segments between Jackson and Vancleve.

The cape seal is an application of a chip seal followed by a thin asphalt overlay. The chip seal begins with an asphalt emulsion sprayed on the roadway, followed by a layer of coarse stone spread evenly over the emulsion. This portion of the application is left in place for several days to allow the stone to set and for the weight of passing traffic to further seat the gravel into the emulsion. The roadway will contain some loose gravel and there may be a slight increase in driving noise. Both of these issues improve with time and traffic volume. After this curing period, the roadway is paved with a thin asphalt overlay.

While the project is ongoing, a speed limit of 25 mph will be signed and enforced due to the loose gravel on the roadway. Motorcyclists are specifically urged to heed this reduced limit.

Contract crews plan to begin work on or after July 21 with the chip seal phase. Paving of the asphalt overlay will take place the following week, weather permitting. If there is rain during the project period, the work will be delayed.

Following the cape seal application in Breathitt County, work will progress north on KY 15 to Wolfe County. A microsurface application will be done between milepoints 0.0 and 8.6, or from the Breathitt County line to the entrance to Campton Elementary School. Microsurfacing involves the application of a slurry sealant to the existing pavement. It seals pavement cracks, prevents pavement from degrading, and can improve surface friction. The new road surface will appear to have a brown tint, but will become darker over time. No noticeable differences in road noise or smoothness should be noticed.

During microsurfacing, motorists are advised to avoid driving on newly placed paving material, which means traffic on side roads may be stopped for lengthy periods of time.

Weather conditions may also affect the time and duration of this project.

Traffic will be controlled by flaggers and signs while the work is ongoing. Drivers will experience lane closures and delays, and are urged to heed all traffic control devices, especially the lowered speed limits.

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