Agenda Date: 06/02/2026
Subject:
Title
Resolution 43-2026: Approving a Construction Contract with A-1 Chipseal Company for the 2026 Surface Sealing Project, City Project No. 25-02
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Brent Soderlin, Director of Public Works & Utilities |
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Ray Hill, Interim City Engineer |
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Matthew Matuszewski, CIP Program Manager |
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Presentations: |
N/A |
PURPOSE:
Approval of a Construction Contract with A-1 Chipseal Company for the 2026 Surface Sealing Project.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
High-Quality Governance; Safe Community
DISCUSSION:
The City performs surface sealing of asphalt streets to extend the life of the street by preventing water from entering the pavement and gravel base, renewing the wearing surface of the roadway, and improving the appearance and safety of the street. Resurfacing also provides an opportunity for updating the roadway striping, incorporating Safer Streets Initiatives. For larger citywide street preservation projects such as this one, the City procures contractor services to augment city equipment and staff resources.
On April 3, 2026, the City advertised the 2026 Surface Sealing Project, City Project No. 25-02. Bids were open on May 1, 2026. Two bids were submitted. After reviewing the submissions, staff determined that A-1 Chipseal Company was the lowest and most qualified bidder with a bid of $1,954,700.29. This contract amount is within the 2026 Capital Improvement budget. Based on our past experience with A-1 Chipseal Company, they are qualified to complete this work.
I n 2026, Public Works is proposing to perform surface sealing of City streets in various locations throughout the City as shown in Attachment 1 of this packet. The roadways selected for surface seal are within the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) range and chronological window, as determined by both the Colorado Asphalt Paving Association and the Municipal Government Pavement Engineering Council (MGPEC), and are now showing signs of wear. It is important to seal the surface of these streets before they degrade to a point where more extensive maintenance needs to be performed. The street type, use, and condition determines what type of street maintenance and repair methods should be implemented. Local neighborhood streets will be seal coated with slurry seal. Higher volume Collector streets will be seal coated using a chip seal. These street surface sealing methods are described further in the following section of this memo. In addition to surface sealing, A-1 Chipseal Company will also be installing new striping as well as vertical elements to create buffered and protected bicycle infrastructure as part of the City of Littleton Safer Streets Initiative.
If Council approves this resolution, the project will move forward, with anticipated completion in the summer of 2026.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Littleton has approximately 360 lane miles of streets within the community’s transportation network, comprised primarily of asphalt streets and several concrete streets. The City’s Pavement Management Plan, managed by the City’s Public Works Department, emphasizes pavement preservation as a proactive approach to maintaining streets while they are still in good condition. Maintenance and repair of the street surface can vary from surface sealing, to mill and overlay, to full reconstruction, depending on street surface and subsurface condition. The most cost-effective strategy in pavement preservation is applying the right treatment to streets at the right time, thereby maximizing the life of the pavement and reducing future increases to maintenance scope and costs. It is very important to protect the City’s major investment in the street system and maintain streets before they deteriorate beyond repair. Streets which have deteriorated significantly must be completely reconstructed and this is very costly.
The Engineering Division of Public Works uses condition ratings and specific preservation and rehabilitation practices to preserve the condition of Littleton’s roadways and extend the useful life of the pavement. Engineering staff assesses the condition of each roadway segment and assigns a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) rating ranging from 0 to 100 (Figure 2). A PCI of 100 corresponds to a new road, a PCI rating of 0 means the pavement has completely failed. The PCI rating drops over time as pavements deteriorate from use and environmental factors. The rate of degradation begins slowly and increases rapidly after a few years. As such, pavement preservation early in a street’s lifecycle is critical to preserve the pavement quality and reduce costly rehabilitation or reconstruction.
The Engineering Division manages the Pavement Management Program with the goal to keep Littleton’s streets at a PCI of 75 or higher. Currently, the average PCI across the street network is 62. The pavement management strategy focuses on identifying the correct preservation treatment, and applying it at the right time, to extend the life of the pavement. This holistic program approach effectively preserves the pavement network through leveraging low-cost preservation techniques to limit future reconstructions and provides the most value from the funding available for pavement management.
Street surface sealing, specific to the scope of this construction contract for City Council approval, is the method in which a layer of asphalt emulsion (typically slurry seal) is applied to the street surface to protect, seal cracks, and overall extend the life of the street. This sealing method is primarily used on local, lower traffic streets. In the case where chip sealing is used, typically along more major high traffic streets, crushed gravel chips are added following the application of an asphalt layer. These chips are then locked into place with a second layer of asphalt emulsion. Surface sealing cannot be implemented if the condition below the street base layer is significantly failing. Since these sealing methods are significantly less cost than street reconstruction, it is important that the City identifies and takes advantage of early opportunities to implement the sealing method before the street degrades further that would warrant costly reconstruction.
During street preservation planning, several of the Public Works staff coordinate to identify opportunities to implement transportation improvements along streets planned for construction or maintenance activities such as surface sealing, such as the implementation of Safer Streets Initiatives. This coordination provides several financial, staff, equipment and material resources efficiencies by implementing these improvements at the time of preservation activities instead of removal and replacement later. An example of this successful coordination is the implementation of new upgraded bicycle facilities (stripping and vertical infrastructure, where applicable) when striping of the street commences after a street has been resurfaced or reconstructed. Two specific examples will be Windermere Street and Pennsylvania Street. Additionally, surface sealing projects are coordinated with the annual concrete repair and replacement projects to ensure the concrete curb and gutter repairs are completed prior to surface sealing activities.
Surface sealing activities are completed during the day and may cause some traffic disruptions while the material dries and cures. The surface sealing contractor’s scope includes installation and maintenance of traffic control during this work, and the closures will be signed accordingly. If the contractor proposes a full street closure, residents will be notified in advance.
Prior Actions or Discussions
Presentation to City Council regarding Capital Improvements (CIP) update: Supporting 2-3 Year Initiatives, on February 7, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
The cost for this street surface seal project is $1,954,700.29. This project will be funded by the Capital Projects Fund.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the Construction Contract to implement the 2026 Surface Sealing Project.
ALTERNATIVES:
If this construction contract for surface sealing is not approved, surface sealing will not be performed. The street surface conditions will continue to deteriorate, and future repair costs would likely be greater due to inflation and increased construction costs.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve Resolution 43-2026 approving a Construction Contract with A-1 Chipseal Company for the 2026 Surface Sealing Project, City Project No. 25-02.