A staff report says the 2019 re-paving of the Red Hill Valley Parkway has improved friction of the roadway and came in under budget. The project budget was $15 Million and the job came in $2.5 Million under budget. In addition to a new surface, the project included installation of new guide rails, rumble strips, reflectors and enhanced signage.
To make sure the new surface was meeting friction requirements the city hired a quality control consultant who undertook sampling of the asphalt that was twice as rigorous as usual. Asphalt was sampled and tested before and during paving operations.
After paving the city commission more friction testing. Using two different testing methodologies, the consultant concluded that the level of friction on the Red Hill has at or greater than it was when the highway was first built. Ontario still does not have a standard for friction testing, but the consultant used standards acquired from Britain and the U.S.
The staff report concluded, “The new surface exceeds the friction parameters used in the geometric design of the road.” Staff recommend regular testing going forward to determine when new surfacing may be required.
The re-paving followed a number of fatal collisions on the highway, since its opening in 2008 and the revelation that a report suggesting there were friction deficiencies on the roadway had been ignored. The city is facing a number of legal actions in connection with the accidents.
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