Napa Construction News blog kicks off

The City of Napa Public Works Department is pleased to debut this new blog that will provide up-to-date information as multiple street paving projects roll out in the spring and summer of 2009.

Here's an overview of what's going on, as of April 3, 2009:

The Public Works Department is preparing for a major street maintenance push. Prep work has been taking place since February, and in late April, City crews will begin putting a new layer of paving on about 10 miles of neighborhood streets, seeking a smoother ride for residents and preserving streets that are in good enough shape to be saved. While there is no new money to draw on, Public Works Director Jack LaRochelle has upped the budget for paving materials from around $400,000 to $1 million, shifting resources within the Department and assigning City crews to this maintenance work. On April 21, the City Council will hear a staff report requesting $500,000 of gas tax revenues to proceed with this maintenance program, and in June the Council will review the budget for Fiscal Years 2010-2011 which will include funding to keep this program rolling. While City crews will handle this neighborhood street maintenance program, contracts will continue to be issued for major repairs to streets with higher traffic volumes.

Streets selected for paving this spring-summer were selected using these criteria:

• Maintenance is needed to preserve the street before further deterioration
• The street can be paved with minimal curb and gutter work or structural repair (both of which increase the cost)
• There is no underground utility work planned in the next five years that would cut up the new asphalt surface

Obviously there are many streets that meet these criteria, so if your street is not getting maintenance this year, it is on the list for future work. (The list of the 28 street segments that will be getting attention can be seen on the Traffic and Construction web page at www.cityofnapa.org.)

Residents sometimes wonder why the City allocates resources to do maintenance on streets in decent shape, when there are other streets in much worse condition. In fact, the $1 million available to spend will prolong the life of 10 miles of streets - but that same amount of money would only repair 1 mile of a badly damaged street like Main, Coombs, Westview, or Napa Valley Corporate Way. Estimates show it would take $85 million to bring all of Napa’s 140 miles of streets up to the desired quality, and about $8 million each year to maintain that quality. Currently there is only $2.5-$3 million available each year. The City continues to seek a revenue source dedicated to street and sidewalk repair and maintenance as the solution for the unfunded need.

In addition to this neighborhood street maintenance, the City will issue contracts for repaving on Soscol Avenue from Clinton Street to Lincoln Avenue, Browns Valley Road

from Austin Way to Buhman Avenue, and East Avenue from Clark Street to the Silverado Trail-Third Street “Five Points” intersection. This work is funded with federal dollars that can only be used on specific types of streets. About $1.5 million in Federal economic stimulus money is to be used for resurfacing segments of Shurtleff Avenue, Solano Avenue, Kansas Street and Foster Road. Prop. 1B money from the State, if it becomes available, will be used for an overlay of Main Street from Clinton to Lincoln, and reconstruction and repaving of East Avenue. (The East Avenue project is also funded by $1 million from the General Fund and $300,000 from Storm Waster System Fees.) Paving work is also on tap this spring-summer for First and Second Streets from Jefferson to California, as the lengthy utility undergrounding work has been completed. It promises to be a busy and productive spring and summer for Napa’s streets. Follow City projects on the Traffic and Construction News page at www.cityofnapa.org.