“Double, double toil and trouble. Fire burn and caldron bubble.” Yep, we will be having our streets repaired with vats of boiling tar, creating a sticky mess just in time for the legions of costumed kids and their parents who visit our neighborhood on Halloween.
Well, that depends on the apparently botched Notice via a sandwich board at the entrance to Poudre Overlook which claims this work is to be done on “Monday Oct. 30th”. Monday is the 31st, also known as Halloween, and Sunday is the 30th. It’s very unlikely we will have our streets repaired on Sunday.
People come from all over Fort Collins to our neighborhood to Trick or Treat because we have nice decorations and generous owners. It’s literally the one day of the year when our streets are filled with parked cars. And, because this notice is only this barely legible sandwich board physically placed in our neighborhood, most will not see it before they come here – and probably won’t see it as the rush in with a minivan full of excited kids.
Public Improvement District #30 is already under scrutiny for poor notice and messaging regarding raising our taxes to the maximum amount without a community vote. But, now scheduling a major messy construction operation with liquid tar going down when we have the most pedestrians of the year (and mostly children) is a sign that we have PID leadership that is either aloof or doesn’t care about the impacts to the children and parents who look forward to this holiday.
A call in to Larimer Engineering resulted in someone checking to see who did this and why. We will update when more information is available, and whether the operation will be done soon enough in the day to mitigate impacts. Meanwhile, for those planning to have visitors, it might be a good idea to mention the sticky tar that will be on our streets, and to plan on parking in driveways, and not on the streets themselves.
EDIT: According to experts, the time it takes for the sealant material to dry can be over 30 minutes to an hour, but curing takes 2-3 days. Here’s a sample article:
https://alphapavingtexas.com/asphalt-crack-filler/
“Depending on the air and ground temperatures, the filler can dry in as little as 30 minutes, and it will rarely take more than an hour to dry. However, complete curing of the material can take two or three days.“
According to this site, it’s actually 3-4 hours to dry, and no driving should occur for 24-48 hours.
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How Long Does It Take for Sealcoat to Dry?
“If you apply sealcoating during the spring or summer, it is typically safe to walk over the surface after three or four hours. This applies to ideal conditions where there is no shade, and the sun is at its peak. Another 24 hours and you should be able to drive on the newly sealed asphalt paving. To be safer, allow 48 hours to pass.
If the air is humid and the weather is cloudy, another day of curing is highly recommended. Additionally, around 30 days is needed for the sealer to be totally dry. During the first month, you must be mindful of harsh chemicals spilling on the surface.
So, how long does it take for sealcoat to dry? The answer depends on the weather and what activities you expect. Walking on the asphalt paving is acceptable after three to four hours. Driving is safe after one to three days. After one month, your newly sealed parking lot will be able to stand up to harsh elements and vigorous activities.”
This article also recommends 24-48 hours for curing: https://info.asphaltkingdom.com/asphalt-crack-repair
“Let the Area Cure Properly. Now that the crack filler is in, let it cure for 24 to 48 hours.”
EDIT 400PM FRIDAY 10/28: Amy from Larimer County Engineering called me back. They communicated with the contractor who is going to try to make sure the work is done as early in the morning as possible to maximize the drying time. They also have them add a powder to make the top less sticky sooner. They agree that actual curing takes 1-2 days.
As for the scheduling, the contractor is making the schedule independently based mostly on favorable weather. Too hot, too cold, and too wet are all less than optimal for this type of work, so spring/fall is the preferred timing. I asked about whether the communication could be improved so that notice to the community is sooner – so when someone notices it is on Halloween, they could adjust. Not every neighborhood gets our level of Halloween trick or treat traffic. She said she would look into coordination with POHOA’s HOA, which has a functional email list and SMS system (which we don’t bother to use), which could improve notice. Amy agreed to bring this up with our PID Board and the Contractors, as well as leadership at the County.
Amy agreed that in future years, they will communicate better with contractors who do this scheduling to avoid this potential on Halloween. I think that’s the best we can do at this point.
EDIT 200PM MONDAY 10/31: Well, predictions that this work would be done in the morning turned out to be wishful thinking. The section at the South end of Bubbling Brook Ct. got it’s application of sealant at 115-130pm, and at 200pm, the crew had only made it’s way about halfway down the longer North end. Predictions that this work would be completed “in the morning” aren’t panning out.
At 45 minutes past application, the top of the sealant is starting to loose tackiness, but is still soft to the touch. Any cracks with deeper pooling will still be soft probably into the late afternoon.