LANDIS — It’s a little difficult to avoid potholes in the middle of roads like Fourth and Highland streets. In fact, these roads are among the 21 worst in town.
There are more than 150 sections of roads throughout Landis that are on a list to be repaved.
Pavement Management Services conducted an independent street study in August. The Salisbury company gave the town a long-range planning list of the worst and best roads in town. The study includes an estimated cost of $2.4 million for asphalt to resurface different sections of roads.
Public Works Director Steve Rowland said the estimate doesn’t include the cost of labor. His goal is to spend $100,000 a year on paving the roads.
“It’s probably not going to happen every year,” he said.
Rowland expects to pave seven roads this year. All the money will come from Powell Bill funds. Powell Bill funds are state street aid that can only be used on the construction or repair of local roads.
He hopes to begin this year’s paving after getting a few more estimates.
Many of the most critical roads can’t be paved until the town’s waterline project is complete. The first road Rowland anticipates paving is Daybrook Drive. At first glance, he said, Daybrook doesn’t look like it should be on the worst-roads list. On the surface, the road looks pretty decent, but it ends in a cul-de-sac where a town lift station is located. Town trucks travel the short road for work at the lift station and turn around in the cul-de-sac. The constant pounding by large trucks has weakened the road surface.
The study also revealed a lot of drainage problems on streets without curb and gutter.
The study noted a drainage problem on many roads. The solution was to clip the edge of the street to allow water to drain into side ditches.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.