Paving the Way to Better Quality Streets
Published on June 30, 2021
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 43 percent of public roadways in the United States are in poor or mediocre condition.1 Belton is in the third year of actively executing an aggressive street reconstruction program, to improve the street conditions in our city.
So, how did the City determine which areas to focus transportation improvement needs?
First, a less showy but important part of any project is collecting and analyzing data. The streets prioritized for reconstruction were selected based on data collected and analyzed using the Pavement Condition Index (PCI). The overall PCI rating for Belton streets is "46" which equates to a "poor" condition. At the time of the analysis, 67.68 percent (178.97 lane miles) of the roads were labeled with a poor, very poor, serious, or failing status.
From there, the City reviewed the needs and created a 3-year phased approach to roads, curbs and sidewalk ramps utilizing funds from bonds approved by citizens in 2019, but more about that later. The final phase of the Street Reconstruction Project funded by the voter approved Proposition R began in June, which will cost approximately $5 million and will reconstruct and resurface 4.7 miles of residential road, replace 6 miles of curb, and bring 59 sidewalk ramps into ADA compliance.
“It’s so satisfying to know that so many of the failing roads in our community are getting a full reconstruction, becoming a brand-new road,” said Klayton Turnbow, Belton transportation superintendent.
The three areas receiving street reconstruction are Apple Valley, the Hardee Meadows/Martinwood Addition, and Valley High (street map). The reconstruction of the roads include asphalt mill, overlay, and base repairs. There will be an emphasis on maintenance to ensure longevity. These street projects are anticipated to be completed in September of this year.
Residents whose streets will be reconstructed should anticipate a few minor inconveniences. During working hours residents will not have access to their driveway. Throughout the curb replacement phase, which lasts about 3-5 days, residents will not be able to enter or exit their driveway. With limited street access, alternate routes are encouraged for those who do not live on the streets under construction. Lastly, temporary “No Parking” signs will be placed on one or both sides of the street to allow enough room for construction operations to access the area safely.
“Executing the repairs correctly is an expensive and time-consuming process,” says Turnbow.
“We appreciate our citizen’s patience and support; we understand the process can be inconvenient, yet hope the end result is worth it.”
And remember that bond funding previously mentioned? Thank you to the voters! Since the passing of Proposition R, bond money for the Street Reconstruction Project in 2019, Public Works has been able to replace approximately 12.5 miles of road, 3.25 miles of curb, and brought 45 sidewalk ramps into ADA compliance, in the first two phases. All as a result of the PCI and data analysis report done the same year.
“We want citizens to understand why we are doing this from a data driven standpoint by applying all available information to determine which roads are being rebuilt,” says Turnbow.
This evidence of the “poor” quality of streets in Belton proved to staff and voters that something had to be done. Unfortunately, the road to all “good” quality streets is long. “The City is constantly striving to make the best use of taxpayer dollars in road reconstruction, and hope the citizens realize the City has done everything we promised we would do with the Bond proceeds. With these new roads, there will be an emphasis on preventive maintenance to increase their lifespan while we continue to plan for future needs.”
The Public Works department is aware that there are more Belton roads in “poor” to “failing” condition. Next steps are in motion as City staff works continuously on how to address infrastructure maintenance needs while best utilizing available funds all the while applying for, and receiving, grants to do more work to Belton city streets.
1 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Roads