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Road Assessment Program
Background
In 2019, the Town hired the services of Infrastructure Management Services, LLC (IMS) to conduct a pavement condition assessment and analysis update on Westfield's 100 miles of maintained asphalt roadways in miles. IMS mobilized their Laser Road Surface Tester (RST) to conduct an objective assessment of every road in town, using industry-standard pavement distress protocols.
Results
- The Town's network average Pavement Condition Index (PCI), which is a ranking assessment on the overall health of a roadway, is 66. This is slightly above the national average, currently assessed by IMS to be in the range of 60 to 65.
- The number of streets in Westfield rated Excellent 20.8%, which is above the minimum recommended target of 15%.
- The Town's backlog (roads below a PCI of 40) is assessed at 7% (versus the national average of 12%).
Current Network Summary by Functional Class & Condition Rating (Miles)
The following is a detailed breakdown of each PCI condition rating for Westfield’s roadways:
| Condition Rating (Miles) | Total Road Length (Miles) | Town Arterial Length (Miles) | Town Collector Length (Miles) | Minor Street Length (Miles) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Poor (0 to 25) | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Poor (25 to 40) | 6.5 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 5.6 |
| Marginal (40 to 50) | 15.5 | 0.1 | 2.7 | 12.8 |
| Fair (50 to 60) | 21.9 | 0.0 | 3.7 | 18.2 |
| Good (60 to 70) | 14.1 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 10.2 |
| Very Good (70 to 85) | 20.1 | 0.3 | 4.6 | 15.3 |
| Excellent (85 to 100) | 21.5 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 18.6 |
| Totals (Miles) | 100.1 | 2.1 | 16.8 | 81.1 |
Understanding the PCI Score
| PCI Range (Miles) | Description | Relative Remaining Life | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85 to 100 | Excellent | 15 to 25 Years | Like new condition – little to no maintenance required when new; routine maintenance such as crack and joint sealing |
| 70 to 85 | Very Good | 12 to 20 Years | Routine maintenance such as patching and crack sealing with surface treatments such as seal coats or slurries |
| 60 to 70 | Good | 10 to 15 Years | Heavier surface treatments, chip seals, and thin overlays. Localized panel replacements for concrete. |
| 40 to 60 | Marginal to Fair | 7 to 12 Years | Heavy surface-based inlays or overlays with localized repairs. Moderate to extensive panel replacements. |
| 25 to 40 | Poor | 5 to 10 Years | Sections will require very thick overlays, surface replacement, base reconstruction, and possible subgrade stabilization. |
| 0 to 25 | Very Poor | 0 to 5 Years | High percentage of full reconstruction |
The 2019 Westfield Pavement Condition Index Road Summary Ratings Report (PDF) shows each road in Town with its PCI rating.
Utilizing This Data
The purpose of this assessment was to provide the Town with an objective, third party evaluation of each of Westfield’s roadways. This pavement management system - the process of planning, budgeting, designing, evaluating, and rehabilitating a pavement network to provide maximum benefit with available funds – will play a significant role in guiding short and long-term paving decisions by the Town Council.
- A holistic pavement management system does not always mean the roads are resurfaced strictly in order of their PCIscore; other considerations include:
- Efficiency: Groupings of roads requiring similar treatments in close proximity to one another may be treated in the same year to maximize cost efficiencies.
- Long-Term Balance: The replacement costs of the most poorly rated roads must also be balanced with the benefit of repairing roads that are in good or fair condition, which will cost less over the lifetime of the road.
- Treatments: Depending on the condition of the roadway, recommendations vary from surface repairs, to maintenance, to complete replacement – all of which have different costs associated with them.
All of these factors will be taken into consideration when the Town Council convenes this Spring to decide the best utilization of the 2020 road improvement budget.