Annual road surfacing project receives city funding

By Riley Funk

St. Joseph roads will be getting nearly $5 million for annual resurfacing projects after the city council approved funding Monday night.

The city council has approved, in total, $4,730,800 to be used for the 2024 resurfacing project. The Herzog Contracting Corporation will take on the contract after submitting a bid to the city in March.

Abe Forney, director of public works and transportation, said the city roads were hit hard this past winter, which has led to many streets needing a facelift.

“This weather was really hard on our streets, so potholes were popping up like crazy,” Forney said. “This money will be instrumental in getting some of those roads resurfaced for us so we can get smooth rides through St. Joe.”

Each year, the city roads go through a rating process to identify different defects of roads across town and how bad the damage is. From there, road projects take place as part of the annual asphalt resurfacing program.

In 2023, the city resurfaced a total of 40 lane miles, spending $4.5 million, according to city documents.

Forney said that each year, the city completes an average of 66 lane miles during the annual asphalt resurfacing program.

Some of the roads that will receive work include parts of Dewey Avenue, Lake Avenue and Powell Street. A full list can be found at https://stjosephmo.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1172/files/attachment/7587.

Forney said there isn’t an exact date for the program to start in 2024, but he expects that the work will start soon.

“As soon as the weather is good, they (Herzog) will be overlaying it,” Forney said.

With the roadwork will come traffic delays and many road workers out fixing local streets. Forney said it is an inconvenience to some, but the waiting will pay off once work is complete.

“Just be patient with us. I know it’s an inconvenience. I don’t like to be inconvenienced, just like community members don’t, but be patient with us. We’re going to get those streets repaired for you as soon and as safe as possible,” Forney said.

The funding was passed with a 9-0-0 vote.

Other notes:

The city passed an emergency ordinance to purchase and replace two HVAC systems at the Joyce Raye Patterson 50+ Activity Center in the amount of $18,310.42. The replacement will be for the unit serving the conference room and the other for a failed heat exchanger that serves many rooms throughout the building. This has caused the building to be without proper heating and cooling for several months, according to city documents.

Funding was also passed for design services for Northside and Hyde Park facilities. A new splash park will sit at the sight of the Krug Pool facility, which is set to be demolished according to city documents. The funding for the design services sits at $620,400.

Both bills passed with a 9-0-0 vote by the city council on Monday.