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PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT

Spokane has approximately 2017 lane miles of paved streets. Arterial streets account for approximately 722 of the total lane miles. The Street Department manages its pavements by regularly assessing their condition and performing routine maintenance as far as budget constraints will allow. On average, Spokane's streets are in good condition, but many street surfaces are at or beyond their expected performance life.

City streets are visually inspected to document their existing condition. After roads are inspected, a condition index is calculated from 0-100. Generally, streets rated 70-100 are considered “Good.” One of our goals is to keep “good” streets in “good” condition. When roads begin to fail, they fail quickly and the costs to repair them increases dramatically. While it might be tempting to fix “failed” streets first, it would be so expensive no money would be left for preventive maintenance or rehabilitation of “fair” to “good” streets.

CONDITION OF STREET

The City of Spokane uses a scoring system to indicate the conditions of street pavement. These categories include:
  • Excellent    85-100
  • Very Good 70-84
  • Good           55-69
  • Fair              40-54
  • Poor            25-39
  • Very Poor  10-24
  • Failed            0-9

    These condition ratings are used to establish priorities for street surface maintenance and rehabilitation. When selecting streets the following considerations are taken into account:
  • pavement condition
  • volume and type of traffic
  • utility work planned for the street
  • cost of the work

    TYPES OF MAINTENANCE

    Crack Seal: sealant applied to cracks. Used to reduce water penetration into asphalt and prolong lifespan.

    Skin Patch: a thin layer of asphalt generally 1” or less. Used to provide a smoother ride and reduce water penetration into asphalt. Skin Patching will last about 2 to 3 years before the cracks in the original pavement propagate back to the surface.

    Grind & Overlay: Surface of asphalt is ground off and replaced, generally 2-4 inches. Used to provide a smoother ride and reduce water penetration into asphalt. This usually extends the lifespan 7 to 10 years depending upon the volume of traffic

    The amount of pavement resurfacing, rehabilitation and reconstruction that Spokane accomplishes each year is less than the amount that needed to keep up with the maintenance need. The funds that are available for maintenance and rehabilitation are too limited to perform all of the needed work.

    Pavement management is a way maximizing the life of our streets with what funds are available and getting you the most for your tax dollar.

    CURRENT CONDITIONS

    Below is a Chart of the cities street ratings as of 2007.

    Current Street Conditions

    References:
    WSDOT Pavement Management
    Pavement Condition Report


    • This site will be updated as further information is developed and formatted for online access.
    The information contained on these pages is compiled from various sources and is subject to constant revision. This material should be used for informational purposes only. Please refer to the Citizens Reference Guide or contact the street department directly for further information.

    Please send any questions or concerns for the street department to:
    E-Mail Spokane StreetsSpokane Streets

    To contact the Street Department, call (509) 232-8800 during normal working hours.

    If you are in need of after hour assistance please contact us at (509) 625-7733.

    or send correspondence to:
    City of Spokane Street Department
    901 N Nelson St.
    Spokane WA 99202-3769

    Any Questions or Suggestions on this web page please email us at: info@spokanestreets.org