The resurfacing schedule for 12 Asheville streets has been nailed down (though it could change due to weather and other factors). City Council approved this year’s paving contracts at its June 23 meeting and now the work has begun.
Rogers Group out of Nashville, Tenn., is the contractor on this year’s street resurfacing projects.
How are streets chosen? Among other criteria such as maintenance records and average daily traffic, they get a grade, said Public Works Director Greg Shuler. Much like scores for school grades, streets are rated between 0 to 100. Roads are selected for resurfacing based on their pavement condition rating, or PCR. The average for Asheville’s streets is a 52, so “you can see we have a lot of work to do,” said Shuler.
The work will be done July through November, weather permitting. That includes work on short but heavily traveled stretches of Patton and Lexington avenues downtown.
Patton Avenue is slated for resurfacing from College Street to Biltmore Avenue, right past Pritchard Park. A shorter portion of Lexington Avenue will be resurfaced, from College Street to Patton Avenue.
How will this affect traffic?
There will be lane closures and “we are paving Patton and Lexington at night,” according to Capital Projects Management Divisions’ Robert Kun.
Work has already started on two streets, Onteora Boulevard and East School Road in the Oakely area. Here’s the projected paving schedule for the rest of the streets targeted for this year:
South Oak Forest Drive: July 30-Aug. 12
Ballantree Drive: Aug. 7-27
Patton and Lexington avenues: Aug. 18-Sept. 15
Covington Street: Aug. 24-Sept. 30
Shiloh Road: Aug. 26-Sept. 22
Wellington Street: Sept. 4-Oct. 24
Keheler and Sone Alley: Oct. 5-24
Spears Ave: Oct. 20-Nov. 05
Where does the money come from for road resurfacing? It is set aside from the City’s Capital Improvement Plan.