Paving

Annual street paving program

The City of Dover's street paving program is an annual program to preserve the city’s roadway system. The City of Dover owns and maintains about 135 miles of paved roadways, which excludes state-owned roads such as the Spaulding Turnpike, Dover Point Road, Durham Road, Knox Marsh Road and Littleworth Road. The city invests yearly in preservation maintenance of the roadway system to maximize the roads’ service life while minimizing life cycle costs, and ultimately provide an operational roadway system for the community.

Roads to be paved are evaluated annually based on the city’s pavement management program, which considers the pavement condition, frequency of use, and available funding. Each year, an amount is appropriated for general street improvements through the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and funded through the city's operating budget.

Roads that are severely degraded and require a complete reconstruction are candidates for a standalone CIP project that often incorporates upgrades of public utilities, such as water, sewer and stormwater drainage. Because these projects are significant and often require debt financing to complete, they are typically planned at least six-years out.

Roads with a structurally sufficient subbase are generally good candidates for pavement maintenance through the Street Paving Program to extend the service life of the road until funding becomes available for a complete street reconstruction through a CIP project. The CIP is part of the city’s community planning process. It maps out significant infrastructure projects and estimated costs over the next six years that are linked to goals and values outlined in Dover’s Master Plan. Click here to find more information about the CIP.

2024 Street paving program

Through the City Council's annual budgeting process, the Council allocated $2.1 million for general street improvements during the 2024 construction season. The City Council awarded the 2024 Street Paving contract at its April 10, 2024 meeting to Brox Industries, Inc. for $2,048,830 after a competitive bid process. The contract is funded with appropriations of $167,376 from FY2022 capital outlay carry-forward funds, $818,295 from FY2023 capital outlay carry-forward funds, and $1,063,159 from FY2024 capital outlay funds

Streets included in the program are listed below; however, some may not be paved this season due to weather, funding and other challenges. 

For more information, contact Community Services at 603-516-6450.

• 2024 paving list specifications 

Preservation Maintenance

The life cycle of a well-constructed road is generally 25 years to 35 years, and is impacted by traffic volume and weight, weather, environmental conditions, and maintenance. Proper maintenance performed on a regular schedule can substantially extend the life cycle of pavement. The preservation maintenance strategies utilized to extend the life cycle of City’s roadway system are low-cost, low-impact, and minimize disruption to traffic.

Crack Sealing

Cracks in roadways allow water to filter under the pavement surface and begin to undermine the gravel base gravel layers potentially causing pot holes. Hot poured crack sealant is applied to hinder further pavement deterioration. A Crack Sealing program is completed yearly separate from the Street Paving Program.

Patch Paving

The width of a road is not subjected to the same traffic volume and loads; therefore, some areas of the road will fail while other areas remain structurally sound. Failed areas are considered areas in the roadway that have become depressed and may have broken pieces of pavement. These failed areas are removed and replaced with a thicker pavement section. Once a roadway section exhibits significant areas of patch paving, the roadway will qualify for cold planning and overlay.

Shim Overlay

Shim overlay consists of applying 1.25 inches of pavement over the existing paved surface. The shim overlay strengthens the existing pavement thickness and provides a smooth riding surface. Existing manhole and catch basin covers are required to be raised prior to placing the shim overlay.

Cold Plane and Overlay

Cold planing consists of removing the surface of the existing pavement to a specific depth, and then a 1.5-inch pavement overlay is applied over the cold planed surface. Cold planing creates grooves in the existing pavement to interlock with the new overlay, which provides a stronger pavement section. The cold plane and overlay strategy can be used to re-establish roadway cross-sections and improve drainage. As with the shim overlay strategy, existing manhole and catch basin covers are required to be raised prior to placing the overlay.

Reclamation

Reclamation is the process of grinding the existing pavement in place and mixing it with the existing base gravel material to improve the strength of the base. The reclaimed material can be shaped to re-establish the roadway cross-section and improve drainage. After compaction of the reclaimed material, 3.5 inches of pavement is installed. Existing manhole and catch basin covers are required to be adjusted, as needed, through the reclaim process.