The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA), a coalition of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, the Asphalt Institute, and the State Asphalt Pavement Associations, recently recognized the Iowa Department of Transportation with a 2022 Perpetual Pavement Award: By Performance for a 4.23-mile section of Interstate 80 in Jasper County.
The four-lane stretch carries approximately 31,000 vehicles, 36 percent that are trucks.
The roadway opened to traffic in 1968. An evaluation for meeting Perpetual Pavement criteria was completed in 1984. The time periods between resurfacing average 18 years with an increased thickness of only 4 inches.
“One key indicator of quality in construction is a smooth, long-life pavement,” Amy Miller, APA national director, said. “Long-life asphalt pavements serve the community, reduce the money needed for maintenance, and conserve raw materials, ultimately leading to a truly sustainable structure that exemplifies the triple bottom line. Asphalt roads can be engineered to last indefinitely with only routine maintenance and periodic surface renewal. Perpetual Pavements use fewer natural resources and offer road owners and users what they want most – an economical, smooth pavement that serves the community for decades.”
A pavement must be at least 35 years old and never experienced a structural failure to qualify for the award.