Potholes and cracked roads can be found throughout the Town of North Hempstead, but these will soon be fixed under the latest $6 million road resurfacing project for more than 40 miles of public streets.
“Infrastructure plays a much greater role than people realize,” town Public Works Commissioner Kristin Seleski said. “Safe, smooth roads enhance your day-to-day life and support our local economy.”
The road resurfacing project is an annual occurrence, with this year’s encompassing more than 200 different locations.
The length of the road resurfacing project is double what it was last year when 23 miles of roads were repaved.
The town is calling its project’s scope “record-breaking.”
But not only is the scope of the project a new achievement for the town, but also how the project is being conducted.
The decision on which streets would be repaved was made by the town’s Highway Department district foreman. In the past, the selection was made by town council members.
“Everybody wants their road repaved, but the truth is some are in significantly greater need of repair than others,” Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said. “By relying on professional assessments instead of political negotiations, we’re making objective, need-based decisions.”
Town council members said this better prioritizes streets that are most in need and removes political favoritism.
“We saw how road repaving became a political issue in the past, but that stops now,” Council Member Ed Scott said. “We’re making sure the biggest problem areas are taken care of first, so we do right by all our residents.”
Next year a Pavement Condition Index Survey will be utilized to evaluate the conditions of the town’s roads. This data will then be utilized in prioritizing which roads are in most need of repair.
