Redding Public Works Director Jeff Hanson reviewed the results of the Road Reconstruction Phase III plan with the Board of Selectmen. He also provided a status update of the current 4-year plan. There is a surplus of funds so the plan is being changed to a 5-year plan.
The reason there is a surplus is because the weekly price of asphalt was down for several years and Redding actually got money back. The town now is paying a bit more because the price has gone back up. It's about $300,000 per mile at $90 per ton of asphalt.
Sometimes the highway department diverts from the plan, for example Hanson says Pine Tree Road is holding up well and doesn't need work at this time. The next group of roads equals the available dollar amount, and were in the queue.
Hanson works with the schools to minimize disruption to bus routes, but said it's not possible for all road work to be done in July and August. He notes that there were a number of rainouts affecting the work schedule. Hanson added that the availability of pavers is also a challenge because a lot of towns pave at the same time due to the short paving season in New England. The Board will review the plans during the upcoming budget season.
