BOISE — Every summer the same scene plays out on streets across Ada County: chip sealing. What many, including the Ada County Highway District, call a necessary evil. Others describe it differently.
"It's a mess, gotta drive slow, got places to go," says one driver.
"It sucks!" barks another.
"It's terrible," agrees another. "I got chips in my window right there. Just got it."
It's a process that slows down drivers, or at least it's supposed to, but it picks up the pace for people like Dave Adams.
"Definitely, it's our Christmas," Dave says.
So when the county Kris Kringles began covering the road right in front of his windshield shop it sounded more like scratch to Dave than dents and dings.
"Sounds pretty nice?" he's asked.
"Yes, it does," Dave admits.
Dave's been in business for more than three decades, and says this type of road maintenance is the biggest reason that customers drive in with a gash in their glass. ACHD says they crush about 55,000 tons of rock to cover the nearly 550 miles of lanes every year.
So, it's understandable if a few projectile pebbles whip off a few windows.
"Looks like you got a houseful," a customer tells Dave as he walks in.
"Yeah, we've been steady," he answers. "Gotta chip?"
While drivers don't like it, Dave says it's just laying the groundwork for busy weeks of work ahead.
"Yeah, it's making a little bit of dust but business will be good," Dave says with a smile.
ACHD crews will be chip-sealing into the first of September...until next summer. Each area of Ada County is on a 6-year cycle. So, if your neighborhood didn't get treated this year, here you can see when and where chip-sealing will be happening in the coming years.