Pavement Management Program

Pavement Management Overview

The City of Richmond is responsible for maintaining 580 lane miles of roadway, covering approximately 1.78 square miles of pavement. Currently, the annual pavement budget is approximately $4 million, which falls significantly short of the estimated $100 million needed to address citywide paving needs.

The City's approach to paving with available funds is guided by a Pavement Management Program aimed at preserving the pavement in the best possible condition within the available budget. For example, streets with higher traffic volumes, such as Richmond Parkway, Barrett Avenue, and Cutting Boulevard, receive a greater share of funding compared to local streets and residential cul-de-sacs.

Each year, preventive maintenance treatments are performed on selected streets to extend pavement life, prevent the need for more costly repairs or replacement of streets. When preventive maintenance is no longer cost-effective or feasible, rehabilitation or full reconstruction may be required. Reconstruction involves resurfacing or replacing the entire roadway structure, a process that is significantly more expensive—often exceeding ten times the cost of preventive maintenance treatments.

The City of Richmond's Approach

The City of Richmond uses a data-driven and multifaceted approach to Pavement Management guided by current and future projections of Richmond streets. The City utilizes StreetSaver®, a pavement management software, to monitor and ensure the right treatment is applied at the right time using the right materials. StreetSaver® uses Pavement Condition Index (PCI) to classify roads based on their condition. The PCI scale rates all streets from 0 to 100 (poor to excellent condition), depending on severity of pavement distress. 

Currently, Richmond’s average PCI is 58, with Arterial streets at 59, Collector streets at 56, and Residential streets at 59. These PCI values help determine the most appropriate resurfacing treatments to extend pavement life and improve overall road conditions.

The data-driven projections provided by StreetSaver® support both structural improvements and preventative maintenance. The Public Works Operations Division focuses on mill & fill overlay treatments to enhance structural capacity and restore ride quality, while the Public Works Engineering Division coordinates preventative maintenance to seal surfaces, slow aging, and improve skid resistance.

Pavement Treatment Types

There are generally two categories of treatment types that the City uses to extend and preserve the integrity of the Roads; they are Rehabilitative treatments and Preventative treatments. For more information on specific treatment types and how they effect users of the road click their names below.