Several sections of Arastradero Road near Palo Alto will be refurbished in the next month as part of a Santa Clara County road project that commenced Monday, Sept. 1.

The maintenance project includes 3.4 miles of roads on unincorporated county land near Palo Alto and Cupertino. In the Palo Alto area, this includes a section of Arastradero near Alpine Road and another segment of Arastradero between Fremont and Page Mill roads. Work will also be conducted on Coyote Hill Road near Page Mill Road.

The work is expected to take about a month, according to a statement from county Supervisor Joe Simitian. During this time, crews will apply a "micro-processing" process to streets, coating them with a thin layer made up of asphalt, stone and binding agents. According to Simitian, this treatment fills and seals imperfections in the surface, as well as acts as preventive maintenance to protect roads from future damage. The county is applying the same treatment in resurfacing its expressways.

Simitian noted that micro-processing creates a more "finished" look and takes less time than the traditional repaving technique. The latter involves two different types of seals applied in two phases, leaving loose rocks exposed during the period between the phases. Micro-surfacing treatment, he said, eliminates this intermediate period.

The project is expected to result in some lane closures and delays over the course of the project, which is set to be completed in late September.

"It's a small thing, but keeping our roads in shape – and doing so with as little fuss as possible – is the kind of straightforward government service people have a right to expect," said Simitian, whose district includes the cities near which the roads will be resurfaced.

He noted that poor road conditions in California cost drivers about $13.9 billion in vehicle maintenance and operating costs, citing a 2013 analysis by transportation-research nonprofit TRIP. In Silicon Valley, this works out to more than $700 per driver annually, Simitian said, calling the repaving project a "real dollars-and-cents issue for drivers in our area and throughout the state."

"Anything we can do to improve the quality of our local roads reduces wear and treat and repair costs for our local residents," he said.

Simitian said that even with the time savings of the micro-surfacing treatment, "we'll all need to be a bit patient and alert while this work is happening."

"The results will be worth a little inconvenience in the short term," he said.

Anyone who wants more information about the resurfacing project can call the Santa Clara County Roads and Airports Department at 408-494-1308.