Elk Avenue to get diamond milling

Bringing in the big dog to get rid of the blue

Elk Avenue should look a lot better pretty soon. The remaining blue paint from the Whatever event should be gone and the pavement between First and Fourth that is currently grooved should once again be smooth.

Crested Butte public works director Rodney Due said a company from Arizona by the name of Penhall is expected to be hitting Elk Avenue Thursday, October 2 and Friday, October 3, to “diamond mill” the street with a 10-foot-wide machine. Due said that should eliminate any remaining blue paint. That portion of Elk will be closed for the milling.
“This is the big dog,” Due said. “The little dog didn’t work like we had hoped but this machine will take all the blue out and leave a smooth surface.”
Sealco milled the street after the blue paint from the Whatever USA event started failing and flaking in the monsoon rains that came in after the party weekend. But those milling machines were too small to pull up all the paint.
The plan now is to get Elk Avenue milled in early October, with approximately ten hours of work expected to complete that part of the job. If the temperature after that work is 50 degrees and climbing, the town plans to put down a slurry seal coat. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, that part of the process will be done in the spring.
“No matter what, it will look nicer than it does now,” said Due. “It will be smooth and there won’t be any blue after this milling. This is what that company does. They’ll take off the top layer and leave a smooth street surface.”