More streets being repaved in Phoenix under Accelerated Pavement Maintenance Program

PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- People may have seen some construction going on in their neighborhood, as the City of Phoenix is repaving a lot of roads.

It's all part of a recently approved "Accelerated Pavement Maintenance Program" granted by the Phoenix City Council. The program is part of T2050, a council-approved project that will pave three times the streets that would normally be paved each year. With a $90 million per year budget that expires in 2023, that means 1,650 city street miles will be repaired.

"We went to over 75 public meetings to talk to the community," said Ashley Patton with the City of Phoenix. "It's their roads. It's their streets to figure out where they think that we need to be repaving."

To find more roads that need repairs, the city uses their "Pavement Assessment Van".

"The van has cameras that looks at the pavement and tells us the condition of the road," said Rubben Lolly, an Engineer with the City of Phoenix. "That helps us to know what pavement needs help."

To take the edge off of all the roadwork, detours and delays, the city is finding a bold way to make a driver's day.

"We have two types of signs. The one that comes before, just like this one, 'May the asphalt be with you. New pavement is coming', to tell you please be calm," said Lolly. "And then, when we finish, we put up a sign that tells you, 'Heym enjoy the sign because we've paved your street',"

"To kind of put some of the sting out of that inconvience, we're putting up these fun, clever signs, Just trying to use pop culture," said Patton.