Spur Ranch Road - Morning Update 7:30am Wed 01_18_12

Good morning neighbors,

Spur Ranch Road is open this morning to all traffic, although drivers are advised to stay to the center of the road if possible, since the sides are still a bit slushy. Volunteer flaggers will be on duty from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. to coordinate traffic flow.

Construction work on the road will begin about 8:30 a.m., with road machinery compacting the road from Rte. 285 to Silver Saddle, and grading and compacting the segment west of Silver Saddle. There may be brief traffic delays throughout the day while the road machines are repositioning.

We will determine later this morning if Avenida de los Compadres is dry enough to benefit from grading, and if so we will smooth out that road enough for it to be used as an alternate route.

The latest projection from the RoadPacker team is that work on the road will take roughly 3-4 more days to complete, in part because of the need to repair the surface damage caused by the recent rain and snow. If the road remains dry and the daytime temperature is above freezing (the long range forecast looks good), curing should be nearly completed in about five additional days.

One suggestion: although the clay/RoadPacker mix is non-toxic and will not harm an auto finish, it will cling to the wheel wells and underside of your car, as well as the bottom of shoes. I recommend you wash it off these surfaces, when you get a chance.

The SRRA directors met yesterday evening for nearly two hours with the RoadPacker executives, Bob Sherwin and Michael McDermott, to discuss this project. The issues covered included the chemistry of the process, the timetable for curing, the life expectancy of the treatment, the impact of free-thaw cycles, the water repellent properties of the surface, and so forth. We also discussed ways the company could improve communication and coordination with residents along the road.

According to Mr. McDermott, our road is the company’s spearhead into the U.S. Market. RoadPacker plans to open a manufacturing center in Albuquerque and to make Santa Fe its national headquarters. The meeting was very candid and informative, and I believe it is fair to say the directors were reassured about the company’s commitment to supporting us and giving us the best possible road.

Regards,

Jim