Watsonville City Council Approves $1.7 Million for Street Improvements

This summer, thirty-eight City streets will undergo chip and slurry sealing which will improve the road surfaces and extend the useful life of the pavement. The streets in the project were selected by the City’s engineering and street maintenance staff. The project cost is $1 million and will be performed by Intermountain Slurry Seal, Inc. Intermountain Slurry Seal, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Granite Construction Incorporated. Depending on available funding, the City typically performs the street sealing work every other year in an effort to preserve and extend the condition of our streets and neighborhoods.

The sealant process involves the application of three layers of material including a middle layer made from ground recycled tires and asphalt.  Each street will undergo three separate closures of approximately four to six hours each as the sealant layers are applied and allowed to dry.

The sealing project is scheduled to start in mid-August. The residents in the street sealing areas will see notices posted 72 hours before each street closure.   Click here for a complete list of the streets included in the 2013 sealing project and the project schedule, go to 

Also this summer, a portion of Airport Boulevard and Ranport Road will be reconstructed to replace failed pavement.  Constructed in the mid-1960’s, Airport Boulevard is one of the City’s busiest arterials. The Airport Boulevard section of this project begins west of Nielson Street and extends over Highway 1 and continues on Ranport Road to the Highway 1 southbound off-ramps. The cost of this project is $694,581.80 and the work will be performed by the Pavex Construction Division of Granite Rock.

The source of funding for both street improvement projects is the Gas Tax Fund, which is money consumers pay at the pump and is designated for road maintenance and improvement.

For questions regarding these projects contact Public Works & Utilities at 768-3100.