Redding residents are voting today on a request for $2.95 million for fund a road reconstruction plan. The referendum is at the Redding Elementary School gym until 8pm.

When the budget was being considered last Fall and the referendum scheduled for this past May, funding was available to carry the Phase III paving program into Spring 2020.  But the money was used more quickly than expected and all the roads that were on the plan are complete.  There are additional roads, however, that have fallen into serious condition since that time, for a variety of reasons, and should be repaved this fall. 

13 miles of roads over a 3-year period will be reconstructed, if the funding is approved. 

In 2013, all roads in town were inventoried and rated on a scale from 1-10. A rating of 1 is bad. A rating of 10 would indicate a new road. Anything below 5 is considered needy. Anything 5 and above is at the better end of the spectrum. Roads were rated on pavement condition only and not drainage.  Of the town’s 48 through roads, approximately 20, or 48%, were rated below 5. Of the 33 main roads, 11 or 33%, were rated “in need”. Of the 174 “no outlet” roads, like cul de sacs, 68 or approximately 40% were rated below 5.

First Selectwoman Julia Pemberton says Redding’s roads had deteriorated significantly over many years and many had not been built to modern standards to begin with, lacking a good base and adequate drainage.  She noted that road reconstruction is different from road maintenance, which is funded in the annual operating budget and through state town aid road funds.  While reconstruction is expensive, the life of a new road is expected to exceed 20 years.