Yuba City Street Maintenance crews apply mastic crack sealing on Gray Avenue as part of a preventative maintenance effort to extend the life of local roads and improve driving conditions. Photo courtesy of the City of Yuba City

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - The City of Yuba City is using a new preventative maintenance method intended to extend the life of local roads and reduce long-term repair costs.

The city’s Street Maintenance Division recently introduced mastic crack sealing, a hot-applied asphalt repair material used to fill wide cracks in the road. The method is designed for cracks 1.5 inches or wider, which are too large for standard crack sealing but not extensive enough to require full repaving.

According to the city, preventative maintenance can help protect streets while saving taxpayer dollars. Major road repair projects can cost more than $2 million per mile, while preventative maintenance treatments cost less than 5% of that amount for the same stretch of road.

Mastic crack filler is made from a durable blend of polymer-modified asphalt binder and aggregate. Once applied, the material melts into wide cracks and hardens to create a flexible, waterproof and smooth repair.

City officials said the treatment can last five years or more, helping improve driving conditions and extend the useful life of local roads.

Street Maintenance crews are currently working on Gray Avenue from Louise Avenue to Spiva Avenue, with additional locations planned in the future. The city said the work is part of its continued investment in safer, smoother streets for the community.