Smooth, Safe Streets Thanks to Road Rehab
By City Manager Ken Striplin
The summer months are here, meaning it is time for the City of Santa Clarita to once again complete the annual Road Rehab project. This yearly endeavor works to maintain and rehabilitate both residential and major thoroughfares in Santa Clarita so that we can extend the life of City streets and address any concerns before they become major issues.
Work began in the middle of May on the overlay portion of this year’s project. Overlay rehabilitates our roads by grinding down existing asphalt and applying a coating of finely crushed aggregate, new asphalt and water. In the summer, crews will begin to slurry seal other roads in Santa Clarita, which consists of a maintenance treatment that applies a similar mixture to existing roadways and maintains their life.
Streets are selected using a data-driven approach that accounts for their average daily traffic number and Pavement Condition Index (PCI), an industry-standard metric that also weighs cracking, potholes and other road problems. The first portion of the Road Rehab project this year will address streets in Valencia and Canyon Country, full details of which can be found by visiting the City’s website at santa-clarita.com/RoadRehab.
On the City’s website, residents will find a breakdown of the differences between slurry seal and overlay treatment, a list of the streets selected for inclusion this year, and what they are asked to do if their street is part of the program. Prior to any construction activity beginning in a particular neighborhood, residents will notice electronic message boards informing them of the anticipated schedule and also receive direct notices of impending work.
The City will post schedule updates on Twitter as well (@santaclarita) using #SCRoadRehab. You do not need a Twitter account to see these updates, so be sure to check the City’s page periodically to remain informed of any changes.
Road Rehab is a massive undertaking each summer that requires careful coordination and cooperation from residents in order to be successful. In 2021 alone, the project rehabilitated 76 lane miles of pavement, which translates to nearly 6.8 million square-feet. While the results are visually appealing, they are also measurable. Last year, the City improved its overall PCI to 71, a figure that is a full five points higher than where we were in 2019.
If a street is not included in Road Rehab this year, it does not mean issues will not be fixed. Residents are encouraged to continue to report potholes and other problems through the Resident Service Center (santa-clarita.com/RSC) so that City teams can address them promptly.
If you have any questions about Road Rehab overall, please do not hesitate to contact the Project Hotline at (661) 290-2291. Thank you and drive safely, Santa Clarita!
Ken Striplin is the City Manager for the City of Santa Clarita and can be reached at kstriplin@santaclarita.gov.
