The District of Houston has released its paving projects list for this year containing more than $600,000 of work.
Topping the list is an overlay of Gushwa Road to the first intersection at a cost of just over $249,000 with Olssen from Nadina to Goold following behind at a cost of $152,500.
The stretch of Butler from 14th to 16th is the third major project at just under $106,000.
The intersections of 10th and Poulton and 10th and Copeland are to receive new surfaces and a single lane of Benson to Railway will be done.
The Mountainview and Gillespie intersection will be done as will Riverbank Corner at Hafter.
Shoulder work needed from Gushwa to the first intersection, at Riverbank Corner and Hafter and at the Mountainview and Gillespie intersection will be one by the District’s own public works employees, a move that will reduced contracted out costs.
The majority of the work will be done by mill and fill, a technique in which the existing asphalt is ground up, mixed with new material and placed back down again.
The state of the community’s roads came up at the June 6 council meeting when residents Nancy Flemming and Miake Elliott spoke of the deteriorating road conditions in their neighbourhoods.
Flemming said loaded trucks coming in down Pioneer Road quickly damaged it after it was repaved.
“My request is that the District please consider, when they’re redoing that road, to take in consideration the commercial traffic that does use that portion of the road,” she said.
Elliott was more direct, saying roads in her neighbourhood have been reduced from pavement to gravel since moving there in 2008.
Dust is proving troublesome for people with health conditions, she said.
“Because of the way the surface of the road is now we have a lot less pedestrians enjoying the road which means our healthy living is now reduced,” Elliott added.
Property values will also be affected when people sell homes in areas which had paved roads when they made the purchases, she said.
Following the two presentations, Councillor Tom Euverman spoke, noting that a study commissioned by the District several years ago said it would have to spend $1.2 million to $1.5 million a year just to maintain the current state of the roads.
“As a council we need to put more capital costs into roads … recognizing that we did put some more in this year but it’s not near enough,” he said.
Euverman’s comments echo his unsuccessful attempt earlier this year during budget deliberations to shift $565,000 from surpluses to the paving budget so that it was in the neighbourhood of $1.2 million.
He said using surpluses meant council would not need to increase taxes.