Learning that road repair is scheduled on an aging street typically comes as good news to San Diegans who are daily drivers, and they’re even happier when the scheduled repair is overlay. What is overlay, and why is it considered the gold standard of road repair?

What is Overlay?

Overlay, also called “mill and pave,” is a process by which construction crews grind and remove a section of old, crumbling asphalt and replace it with a fresh layer. Overlay is the preferred option over other road repair techniques because the final product is similar to receiving a brand-new street.

Overlay also has the longest shelf life compared to other forms of road repair. Slurry seal, for example, is a method of road preservation in which a sealant is poured on the road, filling in cracks and potholes and leaving a smooth service. This maintenance activity is conducted every three to five years to ensure the street reaches its expected 20-year useful life, whereas overlay gives the street a new useful life of approximately 20 years.

How roads are prioritized for overlay is a big question. Drivers may believe the condition of a certain street warrants a specific treatment, but it often depends on how a street scores during an evaluation of all street conditions, known as a Pavement Condition Index (PCI). The Transportation Department recently released a comprehensive Pavement Management Plan, which outlines a data-driven strategy for pavement management in future years.

It is important to note that a road’s PCI rating is just one factor among many that contribute to action taken on a damaged street. Other factors include a street’s maintenance history, functional classification, proximity to emergency facilities, schools or tourist attractions, community input, elected officials’ input and project coordination in the impacted area.

Our teams in the Engineering & Capital Projects (E&CP) Department work hard to map and coordinate road work following the input and guidelines for the greatest need and in the most cost-effective way. The efforts of our staff have led to more than 39 miles of San Diego streets being overlayed since July 1, 2023. That is 65% of the way to our goal of 60 miles in the fiscal year, which ends June 30.

Click the communities below for some examples of overlay work we have completed over the past year: 

• Balboa Park • North Park • Otay Mesa

• Pacific Beach • Encanto

• Kearny Mesa • Mira Mesa • Banker’s Hill

Parks Progress

Tecolote Shores South

In December 2023, we welcomed the public back to one of San Diego’s most accessible playgrounds: Tecolote Shores South. Nestled beautifully along the water in Mission Bay, the park had been closed for about a year while crews made major improvements to allow better access for children of all abilities.

The $5.74 million project included a prefabricated comfort station, parking lot improvements, upgraded lighting, drinking fountains, shade structures, landscaping and irrigation.

But the major work was done for the kids. The playground’s signature element is a raised, planted play island, which creates a series of play coves. To reach the island, children can utilize the accessible pathways, making even the tallest point of the play structure available to everyone. Other accessibility upgrades at the playground include a merry-go-round, rockers, swings and a zipline.

The opening of Tecolote Shores South completes Phase 2 of our Tecolote Park Improvements project, which included upgrades to Tecolote Shores North, completed in November 2022. An ADA-compliant pathway with security lighting connects Tecolote Shores North and Tecolote Shores South.

Take a look at the unique features of this renovated park!

Children's Park

San Diegans have been enjoying new amenities at Children’s Park in Downtown. The park reopened in November 2023 after being closed for more than two years during construction. It features an improved children’s play area, picnic tables, adult exercise equipment, an off-leash dog area, public restrooms with an attendant booth, a multi-use lawn area, a new walkway through the Civic Pond, a vendor building and a public art piece from San Diego-based artist Miki Iwasaki. Relive the ribbon-cutting ceremony and see what the park has to offer!

John F. Kennedy Park

John F. Kennedy Park is getting a new look after serving Lincoln Park residents for more than 50 years! We kicked off work on the $4.8 million project back in October 2023 to revamp the open space. The completed park will feature a new restroom facility, picnic shelter, play structures, fitness equipment, benches, trash and recycling receptacles, a drinking fountain, planting and irrigation upgrades and on-street ADA parking. In an effort to improve public safety, there will also be new security lighting. We expect to welcome the community back to the finished park in the fall of 2024!

Supporting Future Engineers

The 22nd Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament, a collaborative effort between E&CP and the American Council of Engineering Companies, took place this past October. The tournament showcased meticulous planning, thoughtful raffle prizes and an enthusiastic volunteer team. Shortly after ticket sales were launched on the website, the entire tournament — accommodating 144 golfers — sold out. This quick sell-out reflects a high level of industry engagement and support for increasing educational opportunities for San Diego youth interested in becoming future engineers.

The yearly tournament holds a special significance as the sole fundraising event for the E&CP/ACEC Scholarship fund. This year, fundraising efforts yielded impressive results and raised approximately $20,000, doubling last year’s achievement. The impact of these funds was evident at the award ceremony, where the 2022 Golf Tournament contributions were distributed among nine deserving scholarship recipients. These scholarships play a crucial role in supporting high school and undergraduate students pursuing careers in engineering, thereby contributing to the growth and development of the engineering community.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the tournament's success, from the ticket purchasers to the numerous event sponsors and dedicated volunteers. The collective efforts and generosity have not only made this fundraising event possible but have also played a pivotal role in fostering educational opportunities for aspiring engineers.

We recently hosted the latest edition of the Construction Management Academy (CMA). This six-day course consists of various training modules and exercises intended to educate, inform and familiarize trainees about the various duties and responsibilities requisite of a Resident Engineer (RE) and Construction Management (CM) team. The modules, which are prepared and presented by experienced E&CP staff and subject matter experts from other departments, detail key components of the RE’s daily duties and provide guidance regarding how best to successfully prepare for and manage these responsibilities. In addition, the trainers provide tips and strategies for minimizing and avoiding potential pitfalls that routinely arise during construction, along with recommendations on how to mitigate once these pitfalls are encountered.

The training is a benefit to City staff outside our department as well. Other departments are invited to participate in the CMA so their teams can familiarize themselves with how staff manage and interact with contractors. This insight can help streamline processes City-wide.

We have hosted the CMA training for the last three decades, starting in the late 1990s. Over the years, the content has been modified and updated to align with current policies, standards and industry trends. But to this day, the CMA remains a key program for our staff's success in providing the best infrastructure for San Diegans.

From left to right: Angelo Russell, Sarah Chavez, Jon Layog and Roman Gonzalez.

We sat down with Sarah Chavez, Senior Civil Engineer in the City’s Materials Testing Lab, to learn a little about her position.

Q. What is geotechnical engineering? 

A. Geotechnical engineering relates to soil placement and properties on slopes, trenches, fills and below pavement. A few topics in which we consistently work are slope stability, analysis and/or design of foundations, liquefactions, earthquakes and retaining walls. Such tasks can include determining the scope of services needed, reviewing geotechnical reports at 60 and 100% design, reviewing construction services for geotechnical consultants and providing construction support for resident engineers and designers.

Q. How does your job impact E&CP?

A. We provide guidance to planning, design and construction staff to help them understand potential project risks. We also aid in identifying special inspection requirements on the plans or keynotes from the geotechnical recommendation to reduce and eliminate risks in creating a strong, quality product for San Diego. In construction, we provide recommendations on how to address problems and support the team. Along with the emergency team, we are the first ones on-site to assess problems, make the site safe and develop a solution for repair.

Q. How does your job impact the City of San Diego?

A. We assist in the planning, design and construction of Capital Improvements Program (CIP) projects and collaborate with the Development Services Department (DSD) geology group working on private permits. Together, we address geotechnical- and geological-related concerns in construction, maintenance and emergency situations. We also collaborate in training and providing guidance to City staff in the planning, design, construction and maintenance of our facilities.

Q. Who works in the Materials Testing Lab?

A. There are primarily four individuals on the geotechnical side and each of us plays an important role.

I am a licensed civil engineer pursuing my geotechnical license, have 20 years of construction experience and have co-managed the City’s materials test lab for three. I assist with site assessments.

Jon Layog is the lab’s most experienced engineer regarding geotechnical matters. He is a licensed civil engineer and a deputy city engineer appointed by the city engineer to act on their behalf in areas of expertise. His experience includes a decade investigating construction defects for geotechnical companies and seven years with the City in geotechnical and construction management.

Roman Gonzalez has five years of experience in construction and field and laboratory testing. He is learning geotechnical assessments and pursuing his Professional Engineer license and master's degree in geotechnical engineering. He assists with field testing.

Angelo Russell has over 30 years of experience with the City — about 25 in the Public Utilities Department (PUD) and five assisting with construction inspection and field testing of materials. He is creating the Geotech Geographic Information System layer for the lab. This map system will allow us to add different data layers – both in the lab and in the field — for various tests. In the future, we hope to add geotechnical reports and collaborate with DSD on their records as our work often crosses over on complex problems with a geology component, like private property, life-safety issues or CIPs with building permits.

Q. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

A. Assessing a failed asset and brainstorming solutions with the emergency team and other subject matter expert teams is very rewarding. Our teamwork results in recommendations that benefits the City and improves our CIP projects.

Join our team!

The City and E&CP are seeking highly skilled candidates to join our team. Currently, the City has more than 11,000 diverse and dedicated employees serving our communities. If you are interested in learning more about the available positions, check out the City's open jobs.

E&CP offers a collaborative and inclusive workplace with opportunities to contribute to our culture through employee-driven committees, a mentoring program and an extensive learning and development program. We invite you to learn more about working for E&CP by visiting our hiring page.

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