Mansfield Looking at New Materials for Road Repair

Mansfield Town Manager William Ross said that the town is currently looking into a new material for chip sealing.

Ross said that, while the current material for chip sealing is effective, this new material would be stronger and cracks less, reducing the amount of damage when the water freezes and expands in the cracks.

"We're looking for better ways to do this," Ross said.

Ross went on to say that chip sealing is an integral part of road maintenance and increases the road's lifespan by about 20 years.

He said that, over the course of a 30 to 40 year period, chip sealing in Mansfield saves the town about $50 million.

"Chip sealing is not a band aide, it is truly a method of preserving the street service and preserving the investment of the public in the street," he said. "It's not a permanent cure, that’s not the point, all streets will eventually need to be replaced. This is the best manner we can that’s both affordable and acceptable. "

Ross said that the new material uses smaller stones in the mix and also uses rubber. He said he observred the material in Framingham and is looking into the cost/benefit analysis for using the material in Mansfield.

He said the material's only drawback was that it is more expensive than the current material.