To qualify for this award, a pavement must be at least 35 years old and never experience a structural failure. The average interval between the resurfacing of the winning pavement must be no less than 13 years. In addition, the pavement must demonstrate the characteristics expected from long-life asphalt pavements: excellence in design, quality in construction, and value for the traveling public.
Although this roadway was originally opened to traffic in 1968, the staged construction, from when the project was evaluated as meeting Perpetual Pavement criteria, was completed in 1984. At that time the project was milled 2.25 inches and overlaid with 1.75 inches of Type A binder course and 1.5 inches of Type A surface course. This four-lane roadway currently has a current daily traffic count of approximately 31,000 vehicles of which 36% are trucks. The estimated loading since the original construction is approximately 30.8 million equivalent single-axle loads.
As the years between resurfacing have averaged 18 years with an increased thickness of only 4 inches, this section of Interstate 80 meets the criteria for a PPA: By Performance and will continue to serve the travelers in Iowa well into the future, requiring little maintenance. As a result, Iowa DOT will be honored by the Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa and presented with an engraved crystal obelisk.
“The Iowa DOT is honored to be awarded our fourth Perpetual Pavement Award: By Performance from the Asphalt Pavement Alliance,” said Iowa DOT’s Chief Engineer, Mitch Dillavou. “This section of Interstate 80 used perpetual pavement concepts in the original design and is an excellent example of how Iowa’s long-lasting asphalt pavements provide reliable and efficient transportation.”
