Murrysville will join several Western Pennsylvania towns this summer in trying a process called microsurfacing as part of its annual roads program.
“It’s similar to the chip sealing that we’ve done throughout the community, but it uses a smaller grade of aggregate to seal cracks and restore the asphalt surface to extend the overall life of the pavement,” Murrysville Chief Administrator Michael Nestico said. “It’s somewhat newer, especially for us, but we’ve gotten a lot of good feedback about it from other municipalities that have tried it out.”
While it is new to Murrysville, the process has been around for nearly a half-century. It initially was developed in Europe in the mid-1970s and first used in the U.S. by Kansas officials in 1980. It is a thin surface paving system made of polymer-modified asphalt emulsion, crushed aggregate, mineral filler, water and other additives.
Nestico said it could offer a good alternative to chip sealing, which is not always popular with residents.
“Typically, we get good feedback on our chip sealing, but there are complaints once in a while,” he said.
In addition to extending a road’s life by five to seven years, microsurfacing leaves behind a smoother surface than chip sealing, Nestico said.
“That makes it better for neighborhood settings,” he said. “Plus, it will probably be a lot more welcome in neighborhoods where kids are rollerblading or bicycling, plus it helps prevent loose chips from affecting driveways and sidewalks and getting into our stormwater system.”
Tom Harshman, an estimator with Peter J. Caruso & Sons in West Mifflin, said microsurfacing can fill in wheel ruts as well as imperfections and cracks.
“It’s also good for traction,” Harshman said. “You’ll get some reflexive cracking, but you won’t end up with potholes like you see on asphalt in the wintertime. It actually seals and protects the road.”
Caruso & Sons is preparing to begin microsurfacing work in South Fayette in early June, followed by a project in Cranberry.
“They put down a fiber mat with stone chips, and then we go over the chips with the microsurfacing to seal the road,” Harshman said.
Since Murrysville is trying it for the first time, Nestico said the municipality will apply it to roads with a range of different conditions.
“That will help us better evaluate how the treatment performs over time,” he said.
The microsurfacing project was made possible with money left over from Murrysville’s 2026 overlay project.
“That came in well under budget, so we have the ability to use about $200,000 for this project,” Nestico said. “It will also allow us to improve more roads in the community.”
Council unanimously approved the microsurfacing at its May 20 meeting. Councilman Matt Olszewski was absent.