City roadwork to improve 6 streets in Republic

Republic will improve six city roads with resurfacing projects starting next month.
Four roads will be resurfaced: Hines Street from Basswood Avenue to Lincoln Avenue, Elm Street from Main Street to Bailey Avenue, Hampton Avenue from Highway 174 to Elm Street and Boston Lane from Highway 174 to Hines Street. Two more roads will be resurfaced and widened: Miller Road from Lynn Avenue to Assissi Way and Illinois Avenue from north of Melody Lane to Danielle Street.
Jennafer Mayfield, interim public information officer, said the city is contracting out the projects.
“The City of Republic has hired Blevins Asphalt to do the overlays,” she said. “A proposal from Donelson Construction to perform the micro-surfacing work will be presented to City Council in late August.”
The projects are scheduled to take place from Monday, Aug. 1 through Friday, Aug. 12, Mayfield said, and some patience may be required of motorists.
“Roads may be temporarily closed during the day while work is being completed but will be reopened when work is not being done,” she said. “One lane will remain open while work is being completed on Hines Street and Elm Street. Flagging operations will be conducted by the contractor. Detour routes will be provided as necessary for citizens to navigate around the overlay and widening projects.”
Mayfield said the roadwork would be paid for out of Republic’s City Street Fund. Between Blevins and Donelson, the total cost is expected to exceed $900,000.
“Blevins Asphalt estimated $449,500 for the overlay projects,” she said. “City Council authorized up to $600,000, leaving a little room to complete some partial roads as well should additional money be available. The estimate from Donelson’s Construction is $460,282.99 for their pressure pave treatments.”
Republic has the money to improve the roads thanks to the citizens voting to approve the public safety sales tax, Mayfield said.
“With the passage of the Public Safety Sales tax last year, giving the police and fire departments dedicated funding sources,” she said, “it allows us to use all of the motor fuel sales tax for road repairs, along with the normal one-half-cent street sales tax to more aggressively tackle roadway maintenance.”
That funding, she added, is allowing Republic to expand its road improvement projects.
“For several years, the paving program had been $250,000 or less,” she said. “The city is now aggressively attacking road maintenance and will (budget) $750,000 to $1 million annually for street repairs and maintenance. In addition, improvement projects, including the five-lane expansion of MM, MM realignment, Hines and Lynn Intersection, and Hines and ZZ, will be funded and completed over the next five years.”