Pavement management refers to the process the Agawam Department of Public Works uses to plan the maintenance and repair schedule for the network of roads and other paved facilities throughout the town.  Many factors are considered when prioritizing which streets will receive repairs in a given year including, but not limited to: average daily traffic volume, proximity to schools, other planned utility or construction projects and input from residents.  The DPW and the Engineering Department regularly assess the condition of all accepted streets and strive to utilize the limited available funding for pavement repair as efficiently as possible.

A copy of the Agawam Pavement Management Report, which includes detailed information regarding street prioritization, pavement treatments, available funding options, as well as past, current and future paving projects, can be downloaded from the link at the bottom of this page.

Pavement Treatments

The following is a brief description of the three categories of pavement treatments the Town currently uses to repair and maintain streets: preventative maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction. 

Preventative Maintenance

Preventative maintenance treatments are designed to preserve roads that are still in good condition, such as streets that have been recently paved and roads with a minimal amount of damage.  Preserving the surface of such roads will extend their life span, preventing them from deteriorating and saving money on more costly treatments. 

Fog Seal: A thin oil-like liquid spray made of asphalt, water and soap that rejuvenates brittle pavement and prevents the formation of potholes.

Crack Seal: Narrow, shallow cracks in the pavement are cleaned of dirt and debris and filled with an asphalt compound.  This prevents water from entering the cracks and undermining the pavement.

Microsurface: A very thin layer of asphalt material that is applied to the existing surface of a street with a low to moderate amount of cracking.

Cape Seal: This treatment is composed of two layers – a stone layer overlaid with a microsurface layer.  The stone layer provides a waterproof seal between the existing pavement and the microsurface layer, adding flexibility to the street and preventing new cracks from forming.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation treatments are enhancements performed on a street where the surface course of pavement has suffered damage, but the road base is still in good condition.  Rehabilitation treatments restore the structural strength of the pavement and extend the service life of a damaged road.

Shim: A thin layer of asphalt thicker than a microsurface that is applied to the existing surface of a street.  Shims are usually used as temporary repair measures and can wear away very easily.

Overlay: A layer of asphalt thicker than a shim applied to the surface of a street.  Overlays provide a sturdier, longer-lasting treatment than shims on roads with cracks too thin and too extensive to be fixed by crack sealing.

Milling: Milling refers to removing the top layer of pavement - 1 ½ to 2  inches - from a road before installing an overlay layer.  Milling is used on roads which have extensive cracking and have a low amount of distortions, such as ruts and potholes.  Milling cannot be used to change the grade of a road.

Reconstruction

Reconstruction involves the removal or demolition of all existing pavement layers on a street and the installation of new pavement over a compacted gravel base.  Reconstruction is used when a pavement surface has suffered extensive deterioration that extends down into the road base or if the grade of the road needs to be changed, such as lowering a hill to improve sight distance or increasing the grade of the road to remove water from flooded areas.

Full Depth Reclamation: Reclamation is a process in which a street is pulverized for a depth of 9 – 12 inches.  The pulverized material is blended together and recycled into a new street base.  The base is graded to the desired elevation and a new pavement surface is installed. 

2023 Paving Schedule

The Agawam Department of Public Works will be installing Fog Seal on Mill Street from Winderemere Drive to Suffield Street on Tuesday, June 13th.  The street will be closed to through traffic during the day. Residents will be able to access/exit their driveways.  Please contact Helen Marganti at the School Department (413-821-0552) for information regarding any potential changes to the bus schedule.

Fog Sealing on the streets listed below shall be performed on June 20th - 26th.

• Windermere Drive (Mill St to End)               
• Emerson Road (Main St to Haskell St)                     
• Haskell Street (Emerson Rd to Wright St)                  
• Wright Street (Haskell St to Main St)                                                
• Robin Ridge Drive (North Westfield St to End)
• High Meadow Road (Robin Ridge Dr to Pleasant Valley Rd)
• Beech Hill Road (Robin Ridge Dr to Pleasant Valley Rd)
• Pleasant Valley Road (Robin Ridge Dr to End)
• Colemore Street (Springfield St to North St)
• Ralph Street (Springfield St to Cherry St)
• Park Street (Cherry St to Colemore St)
• Albert Street (Main St to Corey St)    
• Corey Street (Albert St to Alhambra Cir)
• Forest Hill Road (Clover Hill Dr to Valley Brook Rd)
• Campbell Drive (River Rd to Florida Dr)
• Channell Drive (River Rd to Florida Dr)
• Florida Drive (River Rd to End)

Traffic will not be allowed on the above listed streets until the Fog Seal has been completely absorbed into the pavement and dried, a process which typically takes 1-3 hours.  Travelling over a Fog Seal that has not properly dried may result in a black, oily residue on the undercarriage or sides of a vehicle.  If this occurs, the DPW suggests the use of an industrial strength oil cleaner to remove the residue.  If this does not work, residents are encouraged to contact the DPW.

As part of Agawam's Pavement Management Program, the DPW will be performing a Mill/Overlay on certain streets each year that are in Fair condition.  This will help to increase the overall health of Agawam's road network and save money by performing lower-cost paving techniques on these streets rather than waiting for them to deteriorate further to the point where a more expensive Full Depth Reclamation is required.  On Monday, July 10th, Mill/Overlay activities will begin on the following streets:

• Charter Oak Drive
• Tina Lane
• Michael Street
• Nicole Terrace
• Kimberly Circle

The following streets are scheduled for Full Depth Reclamation in September:

• Bradford Drive
• Tannery Road
• Meyer's Drive
• Stony Hill Road
• Tanglewood Lane

Please be aware that the construction schedule dates are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances such as inclement weather or necessary emergency work.  The order in which streets are worked on, as well as the addition or removal of streets from the above list, is at the discretion of the Agawam DPW.  

Documents

The Town of Agawam Pavement Management Report for 2023 has been posted.  Please be aware that all pavement management schedules listed within the report and posted on this webpage are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances such as emergency repairs, adjustments to the available budget and/or scheduleing conflicts with paving contractors or other Town projects.  

2023 Road Paving Schedule

Town of Agawam Pavement Management Report - 2018

Town of Agawam Pavement Management Report - 2019

Town of Agawam Pavement Management Report - 2020

Town of Agawam Pavement Management Report - 2021

Town of Agawam Pavement Management Report - 2022

Town of Agawam Pavement Management Report - 2023

Road Opening Moratorium - Updated October 2022