For many small cities working with limited budgets, it can be tempting to delay street maintenance until serious problems arise. But spending money on pavement preservation now can save your city money in the long run.
Consider pavement like a roof—neglect it, and you’ll eventually be forced into an expensive replacement. Maintain it regularly, and it lasts much longer with fewer surprises.
1. Preventing Damage Before It Spreads
Routine maintenance, such as crack sealing, patching, and seal coating, prevents minor issues from becoming major headaches. These simple steps are significantly cheaper than waiting until the pavement is riddled with potholes or structural failures that demand full reconstruction.
2. Lower Repair Costs Over Time
Addressing minor problems early helps avoid big repair bills later. It’s much less expensive to fix a few surface cracks than to dig up and rebuild a crumbling roadbed. Regular inspections and proactive repairs protect your infrastructure—and your budget.
3. Delaying Costly Reconstruction
The cost difference between preserving a street and reconstructing it can be staggering. A timely chip seal or overlay might cost a fraction of what it would take to completely rebuild the same stretch of road just a few years later. If reconstruction is the next step for some of your streets, be sure that it is a decision you make on purpose and not because of neglected maintenance.
4. Reducing Vehicle Wear and Tear
It’s not just about your roads. Poor pavement conditions lead to more wear on vehicles—especially service vehicles and school buses that travel the same routes daily. Smoother roads help reduce maintenance costs for both the city and its residents.
5. Streets and Roads Within a Larger Infrastructure Strategy
Pavement preservation works best when it’s part of a broader infrastructure strategy. Streets, sidewalks, and utilities often overlap—so coordinating maintenance helps reduce costs, improve efficiency, and limit disruption for residents. Investing in streets today supports future infrastructure upgrades and helps extend the life of your city’s assets.
Don’t Forget about Airport Pavement
If your city operates a municipal or general aviation airport, pavement preservation matters there, too—and possibly even more. Runways and taxiways experience different types of stress than roads, but they still deteriorate over time due to weather, UV exposure, and aircraft traffic. Regular maintenance—such as crack sealing, joint repair, and surface treatments—extends pavement life and helps keep the airport eligible for FAA funding. According to the FAA, more than half of all Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds are spent on constructing or rehabilitating runways, taxiways, and aprons. To protect this investment, the FAA maintains pavement design and maintenance standards that help ensure longevity with minimal upkeep.
The Bottom Line: Maintenance Is Money Saved
Street and airport pavement maintenance might not be the most exciting line items in your city’s budget, but they’re among some of the smartest. Proactive preservation helps stretch every dollar further by extending the life of your infrastructure and preventing costly reconstruction. If you need help addressing and planning for your city’s infrastructure or airport needs, contact Bollig Engineering at 320-235-2555.
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