Road Repairs Coming Soon
Road work on some of the city’s worst streets will be done this summer, City Administrator Marc Dashield said Monday.
In 2005, the city launched a five-year plan to resurface or reconstruct streets deemed by engineers to be in poor or very poor condition. But only the first year’s work was completed. Now, design work for the second year has been done and construction is expected to take place in August and September, Dashield said in a presentation to the City Council. Some roads will have the top layer removed by milling and a new surface will be put in place. Others must be completely dug out and rebuilt. The cost for the second year will be about $7 million.
Dashield said the administration is in the process of bonding for the third year’s work.
Roads were assessed in 2004, but Dashield said some modifications will be made to the year-by-year list that was developed. Councilman Rashid Burney asked Dashield to provide the Shade Tree Commission with the list of roads so that removal and replacement of trees can be planned.
The numerous potholes on some streets have slowed down speeders on some of the city’s notorious straight-aways and repairs might make speeding worse, council members said. Councilman Cory Storch asked for traffic calming measures such as rumble strips to be included in future road work. But no one wanted bump-outs, the sidewalk extensions that narrowed South Avenue to slow traffic in a past road project. The bump-outs caused numerous accidents when they were first installed and some drivers say they avoid South Avenue altogether.
Councilman Elliott Simmons asked for curbing to be installed on West End streets in the plan, but was told it is not included in the project. Former Councilwoman Joanne Hollis spoke in support of Simmons, saying many West End roads have potholes.
--Bernice Paglia
In 2005, the city launched a five-year plan to resurface or reconstruct streets deemed by engineers to be in poor or very poor condition. But only the first year’s work was completed. Now, design work for the second year has been done and construction is expected to take place in August and September, Dashield said in a presentation to the City Council. Some roads will have the top layer removed by milling and a new surface will be put in place. Others must be completely dug out and rebuilt. The cost for the second year will be about $7 million.
Dashield said the administration is in the process of bonding for the third year’s work.
Roads were assessed in 2004, but Dashield said some modifications will be made to the year-by-year list that was developed. Councilman Rashid Burney asked Dashield to provide the Shade Tree Commission with the list of roads so that removal and replacement of trees can be planned.
The numerous potholes on some streets have slowed down speeders on some of the city’s notorious straight-aways and repairs might make speeding worse, council members said. Councilman Cory Storch asked for traffic calming measures such as rumble strips to be included in future road work. But no one wanted bump-outs, the sidewalk extensions that narrowed South Avenue to slow traffic in a past road project. The bump-outs caused numerous accidents when they were first installed and some drivers say they avoid South Avenue altogether.
Councilman Elliott Simmons asked for curbing to be installed on West End streets in the plan, but was told it is not included in the project. Former Councilwoman Joanne Hollis spoke in support of Simmons, saying many West End roads have potholes.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 7:35 AM
2 Comments:
Bernice,
It is about time that the roads are repaired. They have been bad for years! Why now I wonder? Is this the issue that our mayor/council believe could be their undoing? If not this issue, there are others that raise the hackles (temper or dander) of Plainfielers.
Bernice - there needs to be a follow-up conversation about traffic calming to reduce speeding in residential areas. The bump outs on South Ave protrude an unsual distance into the road. Smaller bump outs are used to great effect in other towns, not only to slow down vehicles but to create a pedestrian friendly sense of space, create a safety zone for vehicles that regularly park the roadway and create opportunities for landscaping and other improvements to beautify neighborhoods.
Cory Storch
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