As winter is left behind for the more construction-friendly weather of spring, the City of Buffalo begins its 2015 paving season. Mayor Byron Brown said residents across Buffalo will see the work of over $64 million in projects.
Brown said crews are taking a look at places where the frigid season took its greatest toll.
“Some of the areas are areas that have been very hard hit by the winter weather, where we have experienced potholes, where citizens have been complaining,” said Brown.
Public Works Commissioner Steve Stepniak said areas where cobblestone underlines current pavement are prone to more damaging impacts from frost heave. He said minor adjustments have been made to the way paving is done in those spots.
“We’re looking at areas like that that we can address further,” said Stepniak, “And we do special treatments to maybe prevent that from happening in the future.”
$64 million will be invested city-wide, $9 million of which will be used to tackle residential paving. Major projects include work on Kensington and Kenmore Avenues, as well as Niagara Street from Virginia Street to City Hall.
“It just complements what we’ve been doing over the years to build the infrastructure of the city, and make the city a more attractive place to live, work, and invest,” said Brown. “Since 2006, we have done $154 million of infrastructure projects, large and residential in the City of Buffalo.”
Brown said this year’s funding for paving projects comes from a combination of local, state, and federal money. He said once paving is complete, Buffalonians will experience a smooth driving surface.
