Arizona Sun

Street Rehabilitation Program Shows Results
A report for the City Engineer indicates 55.5 miles of City streets have been resurfaced since July, 1953. This is by far the largest street improvement program in the City's history. It was made possible by a $347,000 appropriation authorized by the City Council in the 1953-54 fiscal budget. This increases the total miles of streets resurfaced since 1950 to 57.3 miles. The resealing and resurfacing work was started immediately after funds became available but was halted in October 1953 because of cool weather and so traffic on City streets would not be affected during the tourist season. The major share of the work was done under contract with private contractors and with exception of a few minor repair jobs is now completed. It recently was estimated there were 109 miles of streets in the City needing resurfacing. Subtracting the 57.3 miles that have already been improved, there remains 51.77 miles which need resurfacing or sealing. Plans have been made by the City to continue the rehabilitation program through the use of the asphalt road heater-planer purchased by the City last July. The Division of Engineering will program the streets needing resurfacing. The streets improved so far have been planned and sealed with asphaltic oil and gravel, or planed and resurfaced with 1" or 1 1/2" of plant mix asphalt. A large share of the streets improved have also been seal coated with emulsified asphalt and rock chips.