Street work winds down, 2013 schedule awaits evaluation

Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Nevada public works employee Tim Wiggans, left, and City Construction Specialist Tom Hutchison take laser measurements on North Cedar Street Tuesday to prepare for laying concrete valleys and controlling the flow of water. Their work is part of a $345,120 project to upgrade Ashland, North Oak, East Minnesota and North Cedar streets. James R. Campbell/Daily Mail

By James R. Campbell

Nevada Daily Mail

Working with statewide highway contractor APAC-Missouri, the city's public works department is nearing completion of a $345,120 streets upgrade in central Nevada.

Public Works Director Roger Beach said Tuesday that the annual effort, entailing the expenditure of $84,475 for new curbs and gutters, will wrap up around the end of July when the contractors return to finish paving Ashland Street from Ash to Spring streets, North Cedar Street from Hickory to Atlantic streets, the 500 to 1100 blocks of North Oak Street and the 200 and 300 blocks of East Minnesota Street.

"Once they start to lay asphalt, I wouldn't expect them to be here a week," said Beach, explaining that most of the preparatory work will have been done by then.

"I'm not sure when APAC will be here, but they say they're going to try to get in town around the 30th."

Beach said the city spends about $500,000 each year on curbing, guttering, milling and paving streets from revenues from its one-half cent transportation sales tax. "We did 16 blocks last year on the northwest and southwest ends of town on Sycamore, Maple, West Olive and Elizabeth," he said.

In an initiative Nevada has pursued every summer since 1997, Beach said, "We work our way around town, trying to find streets in one area and moving from one section to another, because working in one area saves money.

"We haven't made the determination about next year yet. (Construction specialist) Tom Hutchison and I will evaluate streets, meet with the city's infrastructure committee and then take it to council. We (the public works department) do the work on handicapped entrances, driveway approaches and concrete valleys to make sure the water runs right."

Beach said department crewmen like Kolbe Starne, Justin Switzer, Tim Wiggans and Hutchison, who were taking laser measurements to lay concrete valleys on North Cedar Tuesday afternoon, are often gratified with the feedback they receive from people living in the construction areas. "We've had a very good reaction from the citizens this year," he said.

"They're excited that we're doing their streets. When you get a new street in the deal, it makes you happy. For sure, we want the city to be good and clean and workable."

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