Kellogg to resume resealing redone roads

KELLOGG –– Beginning next month, the city of Kellogg will begin a resurfacing project for all of the streets north of Interstate 90.

In June, the city council approved more than $940,000 to be spent resurfacing the city’s sunnyside – with Cameron Avenue and Hill Street being chip sealed, while the rest of the streets – all of which are residential – will receive a slurry seal.

The money for the resurfacing project is generated through the city’s local option, non-property tax (LOT) – commonly referred to as a bed or resort tax. The impetus behind this tax comes from the short-term renting of any of Kellogg’s many hotel rooms, and vacation rental homes (such as AirBnB, VRBO, etc…). For the past seven years, those short-term rentals had been taxed at a 3.5% rate, which ultimately wasn’t enough to stay on track with the scheduled resurfacing necessary.

Earlier this year, the city was able to pass an increase to its LOT, bumping it from 3.5 to 5.5% and allowing the project to get back on track.

When the city replace all of its roads between 2015 and 2018, the plan was to put the city streets on a five-year chip seal cycle in order to keep them maintained and lessen the blow to the asphalt layer. The road project was paid for by the Environmental Protection Agency, who mandated that the city maintain a barrier (the road) between the vehicles driving on the roads and the contaminated soils below the road if they were going to spend the money replacing the roads.

According to Kellogg Public Works director Mike Fitzgerald, the project will begin on Monday, August 7, and continue until the work is finished or the weather stops them from being able to finish.

Chip and slurry seals are asphalt surface treatments that help waterproof the pavement, provide a skid-resistant surface, and give new life to dry and weathered asphalt pavement. Chip sealing can only be done when the air temperature is 70º or higher, while a slurry seal may be applied when both the pavement and air temperatures are 45º or higher.

Post Falls-based company POE Asphalt will be performing the chip seal, in the weeks following the completion of the chip sealing, Boswell Asphalt Paving Solutions from Meridian, will be performing the slurry seal.

“In advance of the contracted work, Kellogg’s Public Works Department staff will be preparing the roads by completing curb line weed abatement and sealing of large pavement cracks,” Fitzgerald said. “The Public Works Department will be providing door-to-door notices in advance of the work.”

The hours of construction will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, this will help the work progress swiftly so that the impact on traffic is as minimal as possible.

“The work includes pre-sweeping, materials placement, post-sweeping, and application of fog sealing,” Fitzgerald said. “Normal travel and access will be interrupted for about four days as work is conducted. There will be flagmen, pilot cars, and other workers directing traffic to ensure the safe passage of all citizens and the safety of workers. The city advises to expect some delays and temporary closures and to choose alternate routes, if possible.”

It is important to note that during the work, street parking will not be permitted and the city also asks that residents give the streets at least two days to cure before they resume parking along the streets.

“In advance, the city thanks its businesses and residents for understanding the need for maintaining our roads and their patients during the time of construction,” Fitzgerald said. “In the end, we all want our local roads to remain in excellent condition.”

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact the city of Kellogg Public Works Department at (208) 786-9131.