Road Alert: Current Chip Seal Pavement Preservation Work in Unincorporated King County

King County, Washington sent this bulletin at 08/26/2025 04:42 PM PDT

Chip Seal Pavement Preservation Work in Unincorporated King County

We’ve heard questions and concerns from neighbors in Mirrormont and Maple Hills about the chip seal paving work. Here’s a quick overview of what chip seal is, how it works, and why it’s different from overlay paving.

Chip Seal

Asphalt mixed with water is sprayed on the road.
A layer of small crushed gravel (chips) is spread and rolled in.
The surface cures in 1–2 days, then loose gravel is swept away.
Helps seal small cracks, improves traction, and extends road life.

Overlay

A fresh, thick layer of asphalt is paved directly on top of the old surface.
Smooth, strong, and long-lasting, but more expensive.

Why chip seal here? With limited funding, chip seal lets us preserve more miles of roadway across unincorporated King County. While overlay is more durable, it’s also much more costly. Chip seal is a practical way to keep neighborhood roads safe and functional.

Addressing common concerns:

Crews sweep up loose gravel after the curing process.
We work to protect driveway connections and drainage.
Feedback from residents helps us improve coordination with contractors on current and future projects.
Please drive slowly in the work area do avoid kicking up loose gravel.

We know construction can be inconvenient, and we appreciate your patience as we work to keep our roads safe and maintained.

Additional resources to stay informed:

Sign up for Road Alerts to receive an email or text message when Road Services work is scheduled in your community.
Visit the MyCommute Map to see current and upcoming road work projects in unincorporated King County.
Contact the 24/7 Road Helpline at 206-477-8100 (Relay 711) or email roads@kingcounty.gov to report an issue on the road.
Check out the Road Resurfacing website to learn about the 2025 projects

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Information concerning state and some city routes is provided by non-King County agencies and included for the convenience of the public. If it is critical that you have more current information about the status of a road or a service request, please call 206-477-8100 or 800-527-6237. In major events, phone lines will be very busy and your patience is requested. Please do not e-mail for emergency road status information.

Please note that short-term road closures related to traffic collisions or utility work such as down powerlines are not reported via Road Alerts or My Commute as those closures are managed by outside agencies. During normal working hours, King County will attempt to post closure information of this type on our X (Twitter) account.

DISCLAIMER: King County Road Services provides Road Alerts as a service to the public. While we try to provide accurate and timely information, estimates of the nature and duration of closures are subject to variables such as weather and traffic conditions that are beyond the control of King County and, therefore, difficult to predict. People relying on this information should do so at their own risk. Neither King County nor its employees or agents shall be liable for the accuracy of this information, or any actions taken as a result.

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