The Mat-Su Borough is testing a new organic compound on two gravel roads. The compound may help reduce maintenance costs.
When applied to gravel surfaces and allowed to cure, Perma-Zyme binds the particles together to create a concrete-like surface. The product was applied to Barge Drive from the Talkeetna Spur to the fork at Question Lake Circle, as well as one location in the Wasilla area in August.
Borough Operations Branch Manager Matt Garner says they are hopeful that the product will significantly extend maintenance time windows to about seven years.
Garner says that the Borough will evaluate the two sites in late summer next year. Break-up is the most stressful on roads and the hope is that the product will reduce potholes and other road issues.
Perma-Zyme is used in the lower 48, including northern Minnesota, where roads undergo similar stressors to the Mat-Su Valley. Though a higher up-front cost, if the product works as promised, it could significantly reduce maintenance costs.
