City of Santa Rosa Annual Slurry Seal

Each year the City of Santa Rosa slurry seals the pavement of about 2.5 million square feet of City streets. The streets to be slurry sealed are selected based on the condition of the pavement. Over the years, streets have been slurry sealed in many neighborhoods throughout Santa Rosa. Streets will be slurried treated between July 24 and August 4, 2017.

Slurry seal is a preventive maintenance which involves applying an emulsified asphalt mixture spread over the existing street surface. It helps protect streets from water penetration, provides a new surface with improved skid-resistance, and extends the life of the roadway. Slurry seal is part of the City’s ongoing pavement maintenance program to help seal cracks and preserve the pavement of our streets.

You might ask, “Why does a street with a fairly intact surface get slurry sealed instead of a street in a more deteriorated condition?” Slurry seal is a surface treatment that is meant to extend the life of pavement and needs to be applied to a street before it begins to fail with potholes and broken surfaces. Slurry seal is a cost effective way to keep a good street in good shape for a longer period of time. Streets that are in a more deteriorated condition are treated with an asphalt overlay or are reconstructed. 

Three days prior to the slurry seal application, City personnel will knock on the door of each affected residence and distribute a flyer with information about temporary restrictions to on-street parking and driving on the newly sealed roadway. If you are not home when City personnel come to your home, they will leave the informational flyer at your door.

City personnel will be on-hand to help with traffic control and address questions or concerns from residents during the time the slurry seal is being applied. These City personnel will be able to tell you the order in which your street will be completed and have maps to show you where you can park your car outside of the project area.