Update on Rejuvenating City Roads via Benedetti Equipment

In December 2016 San Angelo's City Council approved a $1.2 million Benedetti Phoenix machine to resurface city roads in ill repair.   That same month the city released a video on the new equipment.

This equipment allows for the City to rehabilitate entire roadways that are in disrepair or in poor condition. The equipment is part of a comprehensive restructuring of the street repair process as a result of Council's street priority.

In June 2017 the city solicited bids for 50,000 gallons of oil for street repairs.  That bid document stated:

The Street & Bridge Division of the City of San Angelo is requesting bids for the procurement of oil for street repairs. This oil will be used as the rejuvenating oil for the City’s Benedetti Phoenix and for the Bagela rejuvenating system, for rejuvenating the hot asphalt for the pot holes and water cuts.

Rejuvenating entire roadways is different than filling pot holes and doing road repair after water cuts.  One manufacturer cited the history of asphalt rejuvenation:

Early tests showed that crews that had been completing 1-2 patches per day with traditional repair methods were instantly doing 8-9 patches per day with what would later prove to be even greater durability. It wasn't long before full roads of up to a half-mile or more were being completed per day.

Prior to buying the Benedetti machine San Angelo had asphalt milling equipment.  It loaned its asphalt zipper to the City of Fredericksburg via a May 2016 Inter-local Agreement.  This loan saved Fredericksburg $100,000 on a $300,000 project based on 60 hours use.  San Angelo's asphalt zipper had a mere 8 hours on it when Fredericksburg  borrowed the equipment.

Fredericksburg went on to lease an asphalt zipper.  A Public Works official estimates significant savings, citing the unit has already paid for itself.  The official said Fredericksburg prides itself in having zero potholes.

San Angelo citizens suffer from widespread deteriorated roads.  One City Councilman asked for an update on the Benedetti machine and the use of road crews to optimize the city's $1.2 million investment.  Operations Director Shane Kelton is on deck to report, unless Public Works Executive Director Ricky Dickson reappears to speak before council.

It's been sometime since Dickson updated City Council on any Public Works projects.  The Benedetti machine and road crew staffing/training would be a good topic for San Angelo's top Public Works official. Council has five possible people to hear from on this issue.  Maybe all will show up to illuminate San Angelo's City Council.

Update 3-18-18:  City Council minutes from 3-6-18 state "Council Member Tom Thompson asked for a presentation and update on the Benedetti Asphalt Recycling machine."  It's not on the agenda for 3-20-18