TRAFFIC ALERT - Microsurfacing Will Require Lane Closures in Kent & Sussex Counties

Dover -- As part of the Delaware Department of Transportation's (DelDOT) pavement and rehabilitation program, each year a number of roads are selected for a process called microsurfacing. The contractor, Asphalt Paving Systems Inc., will be placing notices on the doors of the affected residences and businesses to advise them of the dates of lane closures. The work will begin on Monday, June 13 and end on Friday, July 15, pending weather. Lane closures will occur from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. The contractor will not work on Fourth of July.

The following roads will be impacted:

Kent County
Upper King Road between Route 13 and Main Street (Camden)
Arthursville Road between Route 44/Everett's Corner Road and Route 300/Sudlersville Road
Arthursville Road between the Maryland State Line and Route 14/Everett's Corner Road
Barkers Landing Road between Main Street/Clapham Road and Ponderosa Drive
Route 15/Canterbury Road between Route 14 and Route 12/Mid-State Road
Northwest Front Street between North DuPont Boulevard and North Rehoboth Boulevard
Route 1 between Dover Air Force Base and Exit 119
Ruritan Lane between limits east of Viola and Evens Road

Sussex County
Cypress Road between Route 30/Millsboro Highway and Daisy Road
Daisey Road between Pyle Center Road and Bayard Road
Firemans Road between Bethel Road and Daisy Road

Microsurfacing is a thin, tough layer of asphalt emulsion containing aggregate (rocks), water and mineral fillers. It is used to seal cracks and prevent moisture from penetrating the road base. It is primarily used for preservation of existing hot-mix roadways, which is important as transportation officials look for cost-effective ways to stretch their pavement funding. Typically half a road is closed for microsurfacing at a time. The length of time the road is closed depends on air temperature and humidity and whether one or two passes of microsurfacing is applied. Once this material is applied to the road, plan on approximately a hour delay before it can be ridden or walked on.


This process is often most effective when the existing hot-mix surface is 5-7 years old and showing minimal signs of distress. Residents may wonder why a road is being rehabilitated when it appears to be in good condition, but this is the ideal time to do a preservation technique that will further extend the life of the underlying pavement and decrease the maintenance cost over the lifetime of the roadway. If the roadway does exhibit signs of distress, patching and crack-sealing will be done prior to the microsurfacing layer. Microsurfacing is being used on several roads throughout Delaware and provides a smoother road surface and less loose material than traditional surface treatment (a.k.a tar and chip).

When a road is first microsurfaced, it may present an initial rougher driver surface. This somewhat abrasive surface creates a more skid-resistant surface, thus increasing the safety of the road itself. However, as cars travel over the road, the stones and materials become compressed and smoother, ultimately resulting in a road surface that is nearly as smooth as traditional asphalt hot-mix overlay, but still course enough to improve skid resistance

The microsurfacing material is also being used to patch rutted roadways in Delaware. The material creates a smoother surface on the road without having to do a large scale and costly overlay project. In addition, this material can be used during nighttime hours and on roads with high traffic volumes.

Access to local residents and emergency response vehicles will be provided at all times.