Street Maintenance

Overview

To report a concern regarding a street surface, call Public Works at 918-542-6685

The Miami Street Department is responsible for keeping 112 miles of street pavement clean and in good repair. The crews sweep streets, remove snow and ice, repair potholes, and take care of minor asphalt and concrete paving jobs. They also provide maintenance for traffic signage, bridges, and drainage systems.

Routine maintenance of the streets reduces the number of repairs required. Maintenance includes crack sealing, seal coating and overlay. The Department monitors the performance of City streets and in conjunction with City staff establishes multi-year maintenance programs.

Maintenance strategies include:

  • Crack seal - Bituminous or blacktop pavement by design is flexible to accommodate the freeze/thaw cycle of our climate. Subsequently, cracking will occur in relatively new pavement and continue throughout its life due to age, traffic, weather, etc. Crack "filling" is the placement of a liquid asphalt emulsion into the void, coating the newly exposed internal surface of the pavement to limit further deterioration and provide a protective coating to seal out water.
  • Sealcoat - Sealcoat is a liquid that is applied to asphalt to protect it from oxidation and the damage caused by winter cracking, as well as UV rays and traffic. Asphalt surfaces are sealed using an asphalt based sealer that penetrates the surface and replenishes the oils necessary to keep the pavement flexible and provide proper protection against freeze, thaw, oil, gas and road salt.
  • Pothole Repair - Winter weather is especially hard on city streets. Potholes can be caused by water in the pores and cracks of pavement freezing and expanding, then thawing. More moisture can then enter and the cycle repeats. The repeated expansion forces weaken and break apart the pavement and, as vehicles drive over the weakened areas, potholes are gouged from the concrete or asphalt surface.

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