Residents who have been wanting PBOT to improve their deteriorating gravel streets are getting what they asked for.
John Brady with PBOT, says there are about 50 miles of gravel streets in poor condition, with large pot holes and ruts. The free Portland Gravel Streets Service will provide grading and graveling of those streets.
The service runs in a three year cycle. This year, crews will be repairing the gravel roads in SE Portland south of Division Street. Next year will be the rest of SE and all of North and NE Portland. The final year will focus on the NW and SW part of the city.
Brady says residents will be given advance notice of when crews will be in their neighborhoods. Then a couple days before they start the work, no parking signs will be put up so people know when to move their vehicles.
How long the work takes depends on how long the gravel streets are.
Brady says they'll be repairing the roads between the months of November and February. Grade and gravel service can be done in the winter months because it's not so weather dependent.
Brady says the cost to fix those streets is estimated between $1 million and $1.5 million. The money will come out of PBOT's general transportation revenue.