WVDOH Sweeps 2024 Perpetual Pavement Awards

The WVDOH was among 15 other Agencies across the country to earn honors for long-life asphalt pavements which deliver sustainable performance. Awarded annually by the Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA), the 2024 Perpetual Pavement Awards recognize 27 unique projects from across the nation.

The Perpetual Pavement Awards celebrate agencies whose roadways demonstrate the characteristics expected from long-life asphalt pavements: excellence in design, quality in construction, and value for the traveling public. To win, each project undergoes a meticulous evaluation by engineers from the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University. This year WVDOH is honored for their work on County Route 40 in Braxton County, US-19 in Nicholas County, and I-77 in Jackson County. More details on each of the three projects is below.

In 2000, the Asphalt Pavement Alliance (a coalition of America’s most influential organizations: the Asphalt Institute, NAPA, and all the State Asphalt Pavement Associations) undertook an initiative to promote the idea of building deep-strength asphalt pavements designed to resist structural fatigue distress for at least 50 years. This concept, coined Perpetual Pavements, allows a pavements structural integrity to remains intact indefinitely. While its driving surface may require periodic economical maintenance to address near surface distresses, these pavements do not need significant rehabilitation or reconstruction. While the Perpetual Pavement concept was only first articulated in 2000, many asphalt pavements across the country were constructed long ago and are functioning as Perpetual Pavements. To recognize such pavement performance the Alliance, in 2001, initiated the Perpetual Pavement Award program. Since then, they have recognized nearly 200 long-life pavements, with its eldest roadway serving its community for over 90-years. There are now three award categories, Performance (original award), New Pavement Design, and Conversion Pavement Design.

Perpetual Pavement Award by Performance

The West Virginia Department of Highways received a Perpetual Pavement Award by Performance for a three-mile section of Herold Road (County Route 40, MP 9 - 12.03) in Braxton County. Originally constructed as a gravel road, Herold Road was paved with hot mix asphalt in 1975 and maintained through patching and leveling, a double chip seal treatment in 1988, and a 1-inch hot mix asphalt overlay in 1998. Most recently in 2024, a 1.5-inch asphalt overlay was placed. While Herold Road only sees roughly 280 vehicles a day, it has endured over 110,000 equivalent single axle loads during its lifetime. This rural county road exemplifies Perpetual Pavement performance by providing continuous service with minimal interventions.

To qualify for the prestigious Performance based Award a roadway must be a minimum of 35 years old, have had no major maintenance over the preceding 35 years resulting in increases to the total pavement thickness by more than four (4) inches, and have resurfacing intervals of no less than 13 years on the average. To accomplish such a task speaks volumes about the cooperation between the Department and its industry partners; Design standards, specification, construction practices, oversight and inspection all must be of exceptional quality, well developed, and well adhered to.

Perpetual Pavement Award by Design

The WVDOH also received the Perpetual Pavement by Design for Powell Mountain section of US Route 19 in Nicholas County from MP 24.59 - 27.17. Originally built in the 1990's by West Virginia Paving, Inc., this 2.58-mile stretch section opened to traffic in 2000. With two northbound and three southbound lanes, this section has endured over 8.6 million equivalent single axle loads. Despite a 5% grade and heavy truck traffic, the pavement only just required its first overlay, in 2024, nearly three decades after construction. As constructed this section consisted of a 1-inch asphalt skid-resistant surface course, a 3-inch asphalt intermediate course, a 12-inch asphalt base coarse, and a 4-inch open-graded free-draining base course. West Virginia Paving, Inc. also performed the 2-inch mill and fill required in 2024. The mountain highway’s resilience, despite carrying an average of 10,300 daily vehicles, demonstrates how a Perpetual Pavement design requires minimal maintenance.

This award recognizes newly constructed asphalt roadways built over a new subgrade and meet the Perpetual Pavement structural design criteria which should produce a Perpetual Pavement, the pavement must also be at least two miles in length.

Perpetual Pavement Award by Conversion

To complete the trio, WVDOH was awarded the Perpetual Pavement by Conversion Award for the design and work done in 2019 to Interstate I77 in Jackson County from Kenna to Fairplain. The Division along side the prime contractor, West Virginia Paving, Inc., transformed 2.45 miles (Milepost 129.90 - 132.35) of four-lane highway using an advanced technique, rubblization. This method breaks down existing concrete pavements to form a rubble(aggregate like) base, which is then overlaid with asphalt. Rubblization prevents reflection cracking penetrating the new asphalt overlay, a common issue when new asphalt is placed over old concrete. This process creates a more durable and longer-lasting road surface. Upon the now rubblized 9-inches of old concrete pavement, the rehabilitated section has 4-inches of asphalt base course, 2.5-inches of an asphalt intermediate course and finally a 2-inch skid-resistant asphalt surface course. This section now handles an average of 22,276 vehicles daily and has already withstood an estimated 20 million equivalent single axle loads, showing how modern rehabilitation techniques can transform aging infrastructure while ensuring long-term Perpetual Pavement performance.

To qualify for the Conversion Award the pavement must be a newly constructed asphalt roadways built over an existing roadway which meet the Perpetual Pavement structural design criteria and be a minimum of two miles in length.

“Asphalt roads can be designed, built, and maintained to indefinitely prevent deep distresses,” said Dr. Buzz Powell, P.E., Technical Director of the APA. “The resulting Perpetual Pavement structure is an excellent investment for taxpayers because it only requires periodic surface renewal, has the most preservation options, and never requires reconstruction. Advantages of Perpetual Pavements include durability, economics, sustainability, and smoothness. The smoothness advantage of asphalt pavements is indefinitely extended with Perpetual Pavement since deep distresses that cause roughness never occur.”