- April 25, 2024
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Workers prepare the surface for the steamrolling machine. Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Overlapping shifts from 6 pm to 7 am to resurface at the lowest inconvenience. Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Juan Ugarte has been working on the project for two months. He oversees the asphalt that the truck just brought. Photo by Paola Rodriguez
As the projects advances it is not uncommon to find remains from old roads. Those are also addressed. Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Asphalt is 100% reusable. Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Samples of the road are taken before and during resurfacing for quality control. Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Truckloads of old asphalt are taken to a facility to be prepare for reuse. The material will be ready a month later takes about a month. Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Old and new I-95. Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Chris Czupryna goes to his Palm Coast home after an all night shift. Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Matthew Pierce has been working resurfacing road since 1997. He works a 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift. Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Photo by Paola Rodriguez
Updated 7:14 p.m. Oct. 25.
While the county sleeps, workers of the Florida Department of Transportation set a brand new layer of hot asphalt on the blemished interstate in Flagler County.
Tony L. Phillips, project administrator from Jacobs Engineering, and Rafael M. Rodriguez, the construction engineer of the FDOT for District 5, recently took the Palm Coast Observer on a tour of their night operation.
The resurfacing project has 50 people working from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. on overlapping shifts. Shifts go according to job duties, and some of them working 12-hour shifts in the darkness, moving trucks and hot asphalt, and shifting lanes.
On average, I-95 needs to be resurfaced every 15-20 years. FDOT awards the construction contract to the lowest bidder, in this case, MASCI Corp. Jacob's Engineering administers the contract for FDOT.
The project involves several passes back and forth, northbound and southbound lanes, shoulders and exits. All told, it's the equivalent of 190 miles of lanes in 19 miles from the Flagler-St. John's county line south to the Flagler-Volusia county line south of Old Dixie Highway. The project should take 550 days.
2020 is the projected finishing time, barring weather delays. Bike week and holidays are also considered.
The engineers and workers invite the community to be mindful of speed, closeness, and vehicles entering the work area. Patience is also essential as it is a slow, advancing project.
1. Existing asphalt pavement is removed through milling, and the material is recycled as new asphalt.
2. Sweeping and vacuuming machines clean the road from dust and loose material.
3. A tack coating is applied on the road, which serves as the glue between the existing pavement and the new pavement.
4. The new asphalt is delivered by trucks and placed on the road by an asphalt paving machine. As it's poured, the asphalt temperature is about 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Compaction rollers densify the new asphalt pavement to improve durability and provide a smooth ride.
6. New lane lines are painted to provide the required pavement markings.
7. Once pavement has cooled, it is open to traffic.
