Ann Arbor to install permeable pavement this spring

Workers will begin installing permeable pavement on the two blocks of Sylvan Avenue, east of Packard Road. Permeable pavement filters rain water, creating a surface that absorbs water instead of forcing it to runoff into storm sewers.

"It's almost like a Rice Krispies treat that has been painted black," says Nick Hutchinson, project engineer for the city of Ann Arbor. "It has a lot of little holes in it so it looks like a sponge."

The city will tear out the old road and rebuild its base so the water filers down into the ground like it would naturally. Most road are built on a clay surface that allows the water to pool under the pavement and create havoc on the road through freeze-thaw cycles.

The $300,000 for the project is more expensive than just slapping another layer of pavement on the old road bed, but cost competitive with rebuilding the whole stretch of street and using regular, non-permeable pavement.

Source: Nick Hutchinson, project engineer for the city of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor to install permeable pavement this spring

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