Not sure if this is the right place, but do we have an explanation for why Lone Pine Canyon Road was recently repaved or re-sealed at what I think is the "minimum standard" for a paved road?
I've seen this method on lower-traffic roads and in more remote desert areas. It seems that the construction crew sprays a thin layer of tar (or similar) on the road and dumps an excess of loose gravel on top. The crew puts up "slow / construction zone" signs, then disappears for a week while the normal traffic on the road does the job of packing down the gravel and flinging excess gravel off the road. Then the crew comes back and sprays another thin layer of tar (or similar) on top of the remaining gravel. That seems to be the state of Lone Pine as of this morning. It seemed like the paving was complete since it looked like they were preparing to repaint the lines, etc. soon.
The more common methods of re-paving or re-sealing the road are obviously more expensive -- using heavier machinery to lay down a mixture of asphalt and gravel and pack and smooth it with a steam roller or similar.
It seems strange that they went with this lower cost but much lower quality method for the ~9 miles of Lone Pine Canyon Road. The surface is much more rough, and I would guess it will rapidly degrade once winter weather and winter traffic hits. Additionally, anybody who drove on Lone Pine and "helped" dissipate the excess gravel was risking the flying gravel damaging their vehicle. And, while it's a matter of opinion...the road just looks and feels like it was a cheap job, with the rough surface, overspray of tar onto dirt and rocks, not matching the appearance of cross streets, etc.
