Many of the streets in northwest Cape Coral are pockmarked with large potholes and crumbled pavement.
While a complete fix for the 75 miles of paving needs are still not an option for the city’s coffers, a partial fix is under way on some of the roads.
When it’s all said and done, roughly 20 miles will have smooth, new blacktop, and funding for a second, smaller phase could be approved by city council next week.
In total, the price of the two phases will cost roughly $1.2 million.
“We’re aware of the bad streets up here, believe me,” said Vincent Zura, from the city’s Public Works Department. “You have to start somewhere and utilities won’t be up here for another 10 to 20 years.”
The first phase of the repaving projects addresses streets with eight or more homes, while the second will address some of the streets with seven or fewer homes.
The project’s contractor for the first phase, S.T. Wooten, has 90 days to complete the job but is expected to complete it in less time, according to Vincent Zura.
The second phase of the repaving project, budgeted at $250,000, is part of an overall paving plan for FY 2011 that city council is expected to vote on Monday. The plan also includes $75,000 for the milling and resurfacing of Wildwood Parkway from Country Club to Palm Tree Boulevard.
The budget for repaving for FY 2011 is $900,000.
Councilmember Kevin McGrail, whose district includes the northwest Cape, said residents whose streets have not been repaved will be, piece by piece, as the funding becomes available and they keep city council’s feet to the fire, so to speak.
Repaving the roads is crucial, McGrail said.
“These neighborhoods, because of the empty homes and the condition of the roads, I’m afraid our city will blight if we don’t address it,” he said.