Pavement Management

The wearing surface of most roads in Barrie is asphalt, however roads can have a concrete surface.  Asphalt is typically placed in multiple layers, referred to as binder course (bottom layer) and surface course asphalt (top layer).

The wearing course, generally asphalt, acts as a “cap” on top of the pavement structure. The asphalt is used to not only provide a smooth riding surface for vehicles but also to prevent excessive amounts of water from entering into the pavement structure.

Placed in multiple layers, the aggregate base normally has larger sized granular material on the bottom and granular material with smaller particle sizes on top.  This material is considered “free-draining” material, which means that it allows water to permeate through the layers and absorb into the subgrade.

Subgrade is typically naturally occurring material or may be imported fill on which the road is built.

This annual preservation program seals cracks in asphalt in selected local, collector and arterial road segments. The routing and sealing helps prevent cracking, and slows future deterioration. It is a proven method in extending asphalt service life.

Crack sealing is an early-life preservation technique, as it is typically completed within the first 5–7 years of a pavement’s life. This is the timeframe in which cracks begin to form due to frost expansion (transverse cracking).

2025 Asphalt Crack Sealing Program

Road resurfacing is done annually as part of the Pavement Management Program. Timely application of partial depth resurfacing preserves the road, preventing rapid deterioration in pavement and risks due to unsafe driving conditions.

Resurfacing addresses problems on the roadway surface by replacing all or part of the top layer of asphalt. It addresses issues like potholes, cracking, bumps, and patches of street cuts (created by utility or other underground work).

Construction typically involves a milling machine that grinds off all or a portion of the existing asphalt. New asphalt surface is then placed. This work can usually be completed within a few days and is substantially less expensive than full road reconstruction.

Candidates for resurfacing section typically include pavement in fair to good condition, where the subsurface infrastructure (sewers and watermains) do not require any rehabilitation. Geotechnical investigation is undertaken to confirm specific treatment recommendations.

2025 Pavement Management Program

In 2022, the City completed an early-life pavement preservation pilot program that started in 2018. The pilot included techniques such as Reclamite and micro surfacing to extend the life of pavement surfaces that were in the early stages of deterioration. Pavement preservation techniques typically involve application of thin, bituminous-based products to existing pavement. They differ from resurfacing techniques because they:

• do not involve the removal of existing surface material.
• are less costly.
• are applied earlier in the pavement life.
• can be applied in a short amount of time, resulting in minimal disruption.
   

The City continues to monitor the roads that were part of this pilot program to determine if the program will become a permanent program.

End of life pavement replacement is done as part of the annual Pavement Management Program, as applicable. This work is done when roads need to be replaced but do not have proposed construction plans in future years of the Capital Plan.

Candidate roads are those where reactive maintenance activities (like pothole filling) and associated costs, are unusually high. The subsurface infrastructure can range in condition from good to poor. Geotechnical investigation is undertaken to confirm specific treatment recommendations.

One of the below techniques is implemented, depending on the pavement condition:

• Pulverizing of existing asphalt and placement of base and top asphalt.
• Partial depth asphalt removal, concrete curb and sidewalk removal and replacement, base and top asphalt.
• Full depth asphalt removal, concrete curb and sidewalk removal and replacement, base and top asphalt.
   

2025 Pavement Management Program

Holding strategies are reactive. Roads applicable to holding strategies generally have proposed construction phases in future years of the Capital Plan.

Candidate roads are those where reactive maintenance activities (like pothole filling) and associated costs, are unusually high. The subsurface infrastructure can range in condition from good to poor. Geotechnical investigation is undertaken to confirm specific treatment recommendations.

These roads involve relatively minor investments to hold the road over until the full reconstruction project takes place. One of the below techniques is implemented, depending on the pavement condition:

• Pulverizing of existing asphalt and placement of base and top asphalt.
• Partial depth asphalt removal, concrete curb and sidewalk removal and replacement, base and top asphalt.
• Full depth asphalt removal, concrete curb and sidewalk removal and replacement, base and top asphalt.
   

2025 Pavement Holding Strategies

The City reviews road conditions and determines rehabilitation locations every year based on need and available funding. When the repaving of any roads containing asbestos is scheduled, the work will take place in accordance with the practices described above.

Road pavement resurfacing needs are identified using condition assessment data that is collected for the City’s entire road network and best practices for asset management as outlined in the City’s Asset Management Plan. These studies generate condition ratings on the City's roads and provide tools to prioritize the required work. Criteria that are used include traffic volumes, road classification, where the road is in its lifecycle, the value for money that the work could provide and needs of subsurface infrastructure within the roadway.

Asphalt containing asbestos is taken to a provincially approved disposal site. It is not discarded at the Barrie Landfill.

Yes, if it is a City of Barrie road construction project and staff test for asbestos and find it present, residents/businesses in the area will be informed. This will be done via an Information Bulletins that are delivered to homes/businesses.

Although there is very low risk to the public, residents can choose to keep their doors and windows closed and avoid the area during the time asphalt removal/cutting is taking place (usually one or two days during the overall asphalt repaving project). If the asphalt contains asbestos, special precautions are taken by the workers when removing the asphalt. These precautions include wetting the asphalt to prevent the dust from becoming airborne and workers are required to wear proper protective equipment. As well, you should not pick up loose pieces of asphalt from the roadway.

Additional general information can be found on the Government of Canada‘s website, the Government of Ontario’s website and at the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety.

A Pavement Condition Assessment took place in 2023. The City partnered with StreetScan, a Montreal-based company that has assessed streets in over 100 communities in North America.

StreetScan employs vehicle-mounted sensing technology to assess road conditions in normal traffic flow. The system uses its technology to determine the health of each street and to identify road defects including potholes, bumps, and cracking. This data helps us identify and prioritize where repairs are needed and to ensure that streets are kept in the best condition. 

The project inspected and collected data on the City's road network and parking lot portfolio, and delivered a database of the inspection results, modeling and reporting, as well as pavement management recommendations based on the inspection results.

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Generally, yes. The City maintains a database of the City’s roads and their condition. Pavement condition is described using a Pavement Condition Index (PCI), measured out of 100, where 100 is new pavement. The City typically hires a contractor to undertake a pavement condition assessment of every road in Barrie every four years. During the time between the pavement condition assessments, the City degrades the PCI (obtained from the most recent assessment) annually until a new PCI can be obtained through a new assessment. 

Based on the 2023 pavement condition assessment data, the average condition of the City’s roads is 71 out of 100 (as of January 2024), where 100 is considered new pavement. The breakdown is:

• Very Good: 15%
• Good: 46%
• Fair: 21%
• Poor: 10%
• Very Poor: 8%

The City has a relatively young road network, the majority of which was constructed over the last 40 years. However, the road network is reaching the age at which it will start to deteriorate more rapidly if we don’t look after the roads and invest appropriately.

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Yes, the City maintains a database of the City’s roads and their condition. Pavement condition is described using a Pavement Condition Index (PCI), measured out of 100, where 100 is new pavement. The City typically hires a contractor to undertake a pavement condition assessment of every road in Barrie every four years. During the time between the pavement condition assessments, the City degrades the PCI (obtained from the most recent assessment) annually until a new PCI can be obtained through a new assessment. 

The last pavement condition assessment was completed in 2023. The 2024 Pavement Condition Map includes the most recent condition ratings for roads throughout Barrie.

Some roads in poor condition require complete reconstruction along with replacement of aging, deteriorated sewers and watermains that are beneath the road surface. In other situations, we schedule appropriately timed lifecycle activities, which we often equate with fixing the roof on your home or changing the oil in your car – periodic investment in preventative maintenance extends the lives of roads and other assets and defers more costly investment.

The pavement resurfacing needs are identified using condition assessment data that is collected for the City’s entire road network and best practices for asset management, as outlined in the City’s Asset Management Plan. These studies generate condition ratings on the City's roads and provide tools to prioritize the required work. Criteria that are used include traffic volumes, road classification, where the road is in its lifecycle, the value for money that the work could provide and needs of subsurface infrastructure.

Although the road may not have appeared to be in poor condition relative to other road surfaces in the City, it would likely have been showing early signs of deterioration such as longitudinal and transverse cracking with localized depressions at service crossings and catch basin. Chances are, this work was part of the City’s road resurfacing program. Roads that are candidates for this program are generally newer and in better condition than those that require full reconstruction. This type of work is often equated with changing the oil in your car – periodic investment in preventative maintenance, which extends the lives of roads and other assets and defers more costly investment. The cost of this type of activity is significantly less expensive than full reconstruction.

By undertaking resurfacing or other pavement preservation activities, we will have extended the life of the remaining road structure (base asphalt and granular material), maintained the level of service to the public and prevented the road from slipping to the next level of deterioration, where rehabilitation would have been more costly and disruptive.

Timely application of road resurfacing activities preserves and protects the road structure, thereby preventing rapid deterioration in pavement condition and the need for costly reconstruction. Risks due to unsafe driving conditions are also reduced. Resurfacing has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing the life-cycle cost of roads when applied at the right time as a part of a comprehensive pavement preservation approach. Every $1 invested in road resurfacing can defer up to $8 in road reconstruction.