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1. What is a mill and overlay?

A mill and overlay consists of removing the top layer of pavement, usually 1 to 2," and replacing with new pavement. This process usually happens in 5 steps as follows:

• Step 1: Remove the old pavement (milling)
  • During this step, the top layer of pavement (1-2") is ground off the road by a milling machine. The ground off pavement "millings" are trucked back to the pavement plant to be recycled and used in future pavement. It generally takes only an hour or two to complete the milling process unless the street is very wide and/or a long segment of the street is being milled.
  • Generally, the street will remain open to traffic during the milling process, but a flagging crew may be directing traffic around the construction operations. The street surface is safe to drive on when the milling process is complete, but you will probably notice that the pavement surface is much rougher than before.
• Step 2: Replace curbs and drainage inlets that need replacement
  • After the milling process is complete, the city's Public Works Department crews will replace any curbs that have sunk over time and are collecting water and/or any drainage inlets that are damaged or disintegrating. Replacing a drainage inlet takes up to a day to complete, and any concrete curb replacement takes about a week to cure before new pavement can be put down next to it. The street will be open during this work, but parking may be limited to allow for work crews to access the replacement sites.
• Step 3: Replace any affected pedestrian curb ramps with ADA-compliant ramps
  • Due to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the City's ADA Transition Plan, all non-compliant pedestrian ramps that connect to a crosswalk that is affected by a Mill and Overlay project will be replaced with ramps that meet ADA requirements. Generally, pedestrian access to these ramps will be limited for a few days to remove the old ramp, regrade the ramp area, pour a new ramp, and let the concrete harden enough to walk on again. The streets will be open during this work, but flaggers or other traffic control may be present while the ramp construction is occurring.
• Step 4: Adjust manhole covers
  • Manhole covers that are too far below the pavement surface will be adjusted higher to match the new pavement surface. We will also replace the adjustment rings on manhole structures if they are falling apart. You will probably notice that the manhole covers will be sticking out of the ground at this time. That is on purpose because the manhole covers need to match the final pavement surface, which is about 1-2" above the temporary (milled) surface. The streets are generally open to traffic during the adjusting operations, but flaggers or other traffic control may be needed during the adjustment construction activities.
• Step 5: Replace the pavement (overlay)
  • The final step of a Mill and Overlay project is to actually pave the new street surface! Before the new pavement is put down, a layer of glue (called "tack") is applied to the street surface to stick the new pavement to the old pavement. It is ok to drive on the tacked street before paving, but please drive slowly to avoid any splatter of the tack on your car. It is really hard to remove tack from the outside of your car once it gets on there!
  • The paving machine follows a few minutes behind the tack truck and lays down a fresh batch of pavement. Rollers follow closely behind to compact the new pavement to provide a solid surface to drive on.
  • You won't be able to drive on the new pavement until the crews are done rolling the pavement, which can take a half-hour or so from the time the paver goes by. Flaggers will direct traffic around the paving operation until the rollers are finished working on the pavement.

2. When can I drive on the new pavement?

You can drive on the new pavement once it is finished being rolled, which usually takes about a half hour or so from the time the paver puts the fresh pavement on the road. Flaggers will be directing traffic when you are prohibited from driving on the new pavement, please keep your eyes open for them.

3. Can I get in and out of my driveway while they are milling or paving?

Generally, you will be able to get in and out of your driveway at all times except for the following times:

• While the milling machine is going by your driveway (about 10 minutes of delay)
• If there is curb being replaced in front of your driveway, you may not be able to access your driveway for up to a week. This is a very rare occurrence, however, and we will let you know if you are affected by this work.
• During the paving operation, you will not have access to your driveway from the time the paver goes by your driveway until the rollers are finished compacting the new pavement. This process usually takes about a half-hour or so.
  
  
  

4. Why does the city do mill and overlay projects?

Mill and Overlay projects are one component of the city's comprehensive pavement management program. Pavement surfaces tend to wear out much faster than the other components of a street (such as curbs, sidewalks, and utilities) due to the impacts of heavy vehicles. If a pavement surface is not maintained adequately, the pavement will need much more significant and costly repairs in a short amount of time to avoid deterioration of the roadway surface.

5. Why do some cracks show up again soon after a mill and overlay?

Unfortunately, mill and overlay projects only address the surface of the pavement. If a pavement has cracks which extend down further than the top 1 to 2 inches of the pavement surface, those cracks tend to show up again after the new pavement is put down. These cracks are called "reflective" cracks and are common after mill and overlay projects. When these cracks appear, we will seal up the cracks so that they do not keep growing and ruin the new pavement.

6. Can you mill and overlay any street?

Theoretically yes, but sometimes it is not a good idea to mill and overlay a street. When a street starts showing "alligator" cracking (lots of cracking in the street that looks like alligator scales), that pavement surface is usually too far gone for a mill and overlay to be effective. Also, all of those "alligator" cracks will come back through to the top of the pavement surface after the project is done, and then the mill and overlay project will have been a waste of money. At that point, a Full Depth Reclamation project is probably a better solution for that street.

Sometimes a mill and overlay project is a bigger investment than is necessary to preserve the pavement surface. In those cases, a Chip Seal may be a better choice to preserve the pavement surface at a lower cost.

7. How is parking affected by mill and overlay projects?

Parking will be limited at times during a mill and overlay project so that the contractor can complete the work effectively. "No Parking" signs will be posted at least 48 hours in advance of when parking restrictions will go into effect. When the parking restrictions are in effect, vehicles still parked in the construction area may be subjected to ticketing and/or towing. We will try to contact the vehicle owner(s) if we find any vehicles still parked on the street during parking restrictions.

Parking restrictions may be posted for the following work:

• Curb or drainage inlet replacement work (usually in effect for 1 to 2 days)
• Manhole cover adjustments (parking restrictions only needed when there is not enough street width for cars to go through with a parked car on the street)
• Paving work (usually in effect for 1 to 2 days)
  Milling operations (usually in effect for 1 to 2 days)

8. How are mill and overlay projects paid for, and am I assessed for them?

Mill and overlay projects in the City of Red Wing are usually paid for using dedicated street maintenance funding from city property taxes. For certain higher-volume streets, State Aid funding from the State of Minnesota is used to supplement the regular maintenance funding.

The City of Red Wing currently does not assess for Mill and Overlay or other pavement surface maintenance projects.

9. Where and when is the city panning

The city generally has a Mill and Overlay project of varying size and scope each year. Typically, city staff meets in the fall of each year to review pavement management data and budget information and take "field trips" to look at each candidate street. The city usually only plans these projects a year in advance, but sometimes with bigger Mill and Overlay projects the city will plan 2 years or more in the future in order to secure the needed funding to complete the projects.