A slurry seal is a low-cost preventative maintenance measure used to extend the life of a street as well as address any minor defects. Each road is slurry sealed once every 7 years. A slurry seal is a ½” layer applied on top of the existing asphalt surface by a paving machine that lays down a ½” layer of asphalt oil, small rock, Portland cement and other additives. The slurry seal process is rather fast. After application, streets are typically open to traffic within 2-3 hours, depending on temperature.
The process of beginning a slurry seal process starts early in the year. Factors such as road condition and GIS mapping are used to identify which roads are suitable candidates. Once the areas have been identified, Street Department crews will then repair any areas of broken or potholing asphalt. Cracks will be sealed along each road on the project, and finally weed control and street sweeping will occur shortly before the slurry is applied.
In 2024, approximately 33,250 sq. yards were treated with slurry by Astech, the contractor who was awarded a joint bid with several surrounding communities including Sioux Falls, Lennox, Tea, Hartford, Marion and Parker. Those streets included S. Lincoln St., W. 2nd Ave., W. 3rd. Ave., W. 5th Ave., N. Cherry St., Industrial Ave., Industrial St., and S. Cedar St. Prior to being sealed, approximately 4.1 miles of cracks were sealed along each of these streets, preventing the slurry from settling in those cracks. A staging area was set up at the Lennox WWTP, and work was completed in one day.
The City of Lennox extends its gratitude to the crew at Astech for their professional and efficient work during this year’s project. Plans for 2025 slurry seal will begin as we get closer to the end of this year.