ForConstructionPros.com

Contractors must identify, define and overcome obstacles on every job. Intermountain Slurry Seal recently did just that to successfully microsurface a busy 15-mile California highway at night.

In recognition of this achievement, the Salt Lake City, UT-based contractor was honored for a second straight year with the International Slurry Surfacing Association (ISSA) President's Award.

By knowing its equipment, employees and the process, Intermountain Slurry Seal overcame darkness, heavy traffic, and strict working and environmental requirements in 2006 to place a microsurface - a new wear surface with greater skid resistance - on 15 miles of U.S. Route 76 just north of San Diego. Intermountain Slurry Seal applied microsurfacing to about 254,118 square yards of roadway, using Bergkamp Inc.'s M1 Continuous Paver to preserve the existing roadway for several more years.

"[Public] agencies are better off taking care of their best roads first," says Rusty Price, general manager of Intermountain Slurry Seal's Utah branch. With the company for more than 23 years, Price has been involved in all aspects of the company's business. His involvement has contributed to the company's 20-year growth and expansion into a large part of the western United States.

"The whole concept behind preservation is putting the right treatment on the right road at the right time," says Price. "It saves you a lot of money in the future. Preservation costs $2-3 per square yard, while a 4-inch mill-and-fill costs about $15-17 per square yard. You can preserve the pavement twice in the time that you would mill-and-fill once, and save tremendously."