This week, the Nevada Department of Transportation will use a unique process to repair a roadway depression on U.S. 50 in Dayton.
Over recent months, NDOT has closely monitored the roadway, including an approximately 15-foot section of highway directly east of Dayton Valley Road which was sinking, creating dips in the driving surface. Although there’s no anticipated immediate threat of the roadway sinking farther, one eastbound lane has been closed over recent weeks as a safety precaution to help motorists avoid driving over the depression.
Beginning this Wednesday, NDOT will repair the depression by injecting a specialized polyurethane solution which will automatically expand underneath the roadway to lift, reinforce and stabilize the soil.
The approximately $160,000 in repairs by contractor Sierra Nevada Construction, Inc. will take up to five working days.
Following the repairs, the previously-closed travel lane will be reopened to traffic, but will be closed again for a short duration in mid-June as warmer temperatures allow for minor refinishing work to fully smooth and repave any cracking in the highway surface caused by the roadway depression.
Overall, the specialty process will help avoid the need to fully excavate, refill and repave an entire section of the roadway, meaning less construction time, cost and related traffic delays.
Approximately 19,000 vehicles travel the highway every day.