Eugene’s 2015 road repair season is reaching the halfway point, with nearly a dozen streets completed or nearing completion and more than 20 streets scheduled for construction after July 1.
Advance planning and favorable weather have been major factors in getting an early start on roadwork projects. The first project – repairs to Garden Way, Mahlon Avenue and Willakenzie Road – got under way in early April, and some Public Works paving crews were doing concrete paving work as early as February.
“We knew we had a lot of projects going into 2015, and fortunately the weather has cooperated with our paving schedule,” said Jenifer Willer, manager of Eugene’s pavement preservation program.
Other street repairs that have been substantially completed include portions 25th Avenue, Timberline Drive and City View Street. Work is continuing on Division Avenue, 39th and 40th avenues and Brae Burn and Donald streets. Projects with start dates after July 1 include portions of Valley River Way, 19th and 22nd avenues, Fillmore and Friendly streets, 18th Avenue (Josh Street to Bertelsen Road), East 15th and 17th avenues, Avalon (west of Echo Hollow), Cascade, Elizabeth and Juhl streets, and Knoop Avenue. Traffic improvements and a test restriping of Willamette Street from 24th to 32nd avenues is planned to begin in early August. In addition, slurry seal treatments are scheduled in early August on 20 residential streets, and six streets – Bertelson Road (18th Avenue to Bailey Hill Road), Four Oaks Grange, Concord Street, Avalon Street (east of Echo Hollow), Pattison Street and Central Boulevard – will receive maintenance overlays.
In total, the 2015 paving work represents an investment of more than $10 million in the city’s transportation infrastructure, with nearly 35 lane miles of streets receiving some form of pavement preservation treatment. Primary sources of funding for the repair work include the voter-approved 2012 bond measure to fix streets, the City’s 5-cent-per-gallon local gas tax, federal funding (for the work on 18th Avenue), and Eugene’s share of the state gas tax.