Pavement cracking is evident along the section of US 98 currently being resurfaced.

A pavement dip near Skylark Avenue is the result of damage to the rock and soil layer beneath the highway.

Standing water, caused by pavement deterioration, triggers a vicious cycle that leads to more pavement damage. Left unchecked, the foundation of the roadway may fail.

Why resurface now?

Florida taxpayers have a significant investment in the state's transportation infrastructure. Protecting this investment, through proper maintenance of highways and bridges, is a primary mission of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

The lifecycle of a highway

Large trucks and heavy traffic take a tremendous toll on highways. Over time, surface cracks appear in asphalt pavement. These cracks may eventually reach the rock and soil layers that form the foundation for the highway. Water seeping through the cracks, combined with the constant pounding of traffic, accelerates the deterioration of the highway.

Protecting the foundation of a highway is as important as protecting the foundation of a home. If the foundation fails, the house is eventually destroyed. The same is true of a highway when it is neglected and the structural foundation is allowed to fail.

Protecting the taxpayer investment

At various points during the life of a highway old layers of asphalt pavement must be scraped away and replaced with new asphalt. Called "milling and resurfacing," this process applies fresh layers of asphalt pavement that protect the rock and soil layers beneath the pavement.