It’s a case of good news…. and other news. Road resurfacing slows traffic and that can be a hassle. But it results in newly repaved roads, making travel easier.
Twelve Asheville streets will be resurfaced in coming months. Paving contracts go before City Council for final approval at its June 23 meeting.
“The work will be done July through November, weather permitting,” said Greg Shuler, Public Works Director.
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 Public Works Project Manager Robert Kun.
So get ready for a little paving pain and think of the smooth streets that will result.
Other streets slated for repaving include most of Shiloh Road, off Hendersonville Road just south of Biltmore Village, and two streets in West Asheville, Covington and Wellington streets. In the north section of town Spears Avenue, off Merrimon Avenue, is on the list as is Stone Alley. On the south side Ballantree Drive and South Oak Forest Drive will be resurfaced. Here’s a list and maps of the streets included in this year’s projects: City of Asheville Paving Projects 2015.
How are streets chosen? They get a grade, says 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.
Where does the money come from for road resurfacing? It is set aside from the City’s Capital Improvement Plan.
At a glance:
- Miles of streets to be resurfaced: 4.47
- Cost: $2 million
- Timetable: July through November
Photo above: Patton Avenue, from College Street at the point of Pritchard Park to Biltmore Avenue, is slated to be resurfaced sometime between July and November.