Concrete maintenance personnel are responsible for some curb and gutter repair, bridge repair, and concrete street and alley maintenance. Crews assigned to this activity also assist during major rehabilitative projects.
Asphalt maintenance functions such as partial and full depth patching, pothole repair, and surface seals are performed by this activity. Additionally, personnel assigned to asphalt repair also assist in larger projects such as street rehabilitation and reconstruction projects.
Repairs consist of using a polymer modified sealant intended to seal cracks in asphalt to prevent moisture from seeping below the surface level and into the base. Infiltration of water into the base level ultimately leads to a debilitated base structure. This preventive measure is normally applied during the spring and fall season.
Two crews are tasked with the maintenance of all public gravel streets and alleys. Country-type roads within the city limits as well as Lake Fort Phantom Hill gravel roads are also maintained.
The City of Abilene is responsible for the care and management of nearly 1,800 lane miles of roadway.
Historically, the City has worked to repair and maintain all of that roadway with money that comes from two places; the City budget, and bonds.
Eight percent of Abilene's $106 million dollar general fund budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year is dedicated to public works, the department charged with maintaining our streets. But, the emphasis here is maintenance; City street crews are equipped to make mostly minor or temporary fixes, like filling potholes or patching smaller sections of roadway.
It costs, on average, between $20 and $60 to patch or fill one square yard of roadway. Completely reconstructing a road can cost a lot more, and that's where bonds come into play.
Since 1950, Abilene voters have passed 14 bond packages for street projects; each time giving the City a green light to borrow money to do major road work and reconstruction.
While bond packages can address a lot of the City's road needs, they haven't been able to take care of everything.
Now, through the creation of Abilene's Street Maintenance Fund, the City is working to bridge the gap between road maintenance handled through the general fund budget, and major projects complete with bond money.
When driving on a freshly seal-coated surface, drive slowly and keep an adequate amount of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. Low speed will help to minimize the amount of cover stone dislodged and propelled from under the rear tires.
A mechanic's type hand cleaner, WD-40, or tar remover will safely remove AC10 (road tar) from a vehicle.
Barricades and cones are set out to ensure the safety of our employees and the general public. Please obey the warning signs and watch for a flagman when approaching a traffic controlled (barricaded) work zone.
Cleaning the curb of lawn clippings and other debris after mowing your lawn could eliminate a substantial amount of street deterioration. Standing water is the Number 1 cause of potholes and other pavement problems.
Please do not dump grass clipping and other yard wastes in creeks or drainage easements. Such materials can block the channel and impede the flow of water, setting up the possibility of an area flooding.
Homeowners who landscape or put fences across the drainage areas adjacent to their property run the risk of a potential flooding situation. These conditions also can keep crews from performing the required maintenance of an area.
Call the Abilene Police Department at 325-673-8331 to report a problem after normal working hours or on the weekend. The dispatcher can get in touch with our night shift or the on-call man.