Smoothing out those city bumps
Rick Crenca, who retires as Department of Public Works director tomorrow, and Mathew Solitro, acting director, both say there are enough streets to keep Cardi Corporation paving the rest of the summer. Furthermore, there’s the money to do the job.
So far the city has been working off what has become known as “National Grid lists.” These are streets where National Grid cut a narrow trench to replace aging natural gas lines leaving a patch down the road. Under an agreement, Grid pays a portion of repaving the entire road depending on the location of the cut.
Solitro, who has been directing the repaving program, said that in addition to the Grid streets the department, with the input of the city’s nine council members, is developing a list of the three to five streets that most need repaving in each ward. It is not clear whether that list will be completed in time for repaving to start before the end of the season later this fall. The work could start next year after asphalt plants reopen and still come under the current budget.
In passing the budget, the council increased the $1 million former Mayor Scott Avedisian had budgeted for roads to $5 million, saying the condition of Warwick roads is a top priority to Warwick taxpayers. As approved, the budget called for the maximum allowable tax levy without seeking a waiver from the legislature.
“We’ve got plenty of time for that,” Solitro said of the list of ward projects. “This is going to take a while.”
Meanwhile, said Crenca, Cardi is working on two Grid lists. The 2018 Fiscal Year list of 40 streets is projected to cost $712,737, of which National Grid would reimburse $303,348. There are 80 streets on the 2019 Fiscal Year list projected to cost $1,966,000, of which $564,212 would be reimbursed.
In repaving the Grid streets, Solitro said the work does not always stop at the end of the Grid pavement cut. As was the case at Betsy Williams Drive, crews will go a bit further to complete a road.
“If we’re this close to the end of a road,” Solitro says, showing a gap between forefinger and thumb, “so, why not.”
Not all the work to be done consists of the milling and repaving that has made up most of the Grid lists. Under that process the top layer of the road is shaved off and a new coating of asphalt applied. That process is not appropriate for severely deteriorated roads that need to be taken down to the base under what is termed “reclamation.” Road reclamation is one and a half times more costly than milling and repaving, said Solitro.
Both Solitro and Crenca said the city should have no difficulty in spending the $5 million budgeted for repaving.
