Massive Street Upgrades Near Completion

The second phase of a massive project to upgrade and resurface streets all over town has moved into its final few weeks, with work expected to finish up this summer.

Work crews--who have moved from street to street over the last few months, replacing aging water and sewer lines on some streets and making repairs to others--have begun the repaving process.

A detailed work schedule will continue to be posted to the town's Facebook site --Town of Clayton, NC -- as work progresses from street to street.

This phase of the massive project has taken much longer to complete than the initial phase that was finished up early last year, since many streets require utility work and new sidewalks.

Replacing utilities, the slowest part of the process, had to go first. Since paving can't begin until all utility work is completed, some streets have been in a construction status for months as the more time consuming utility work proceeds from street to street.

"We would like to pave each street immediately after the utilities are in the ground, but piecemeal paving is just not cost effective," Town Manager Steve Biggs said.

Work crews have taken care to minimize utility service outages as the work progresses, and once subsurface work on a street was completed, it was made drivable until paving can begin.

As has been the case throughout the long process, residents will be notified when work crews are ready to begin work on their particular street, Biggs said. Vehicles must be removed from streets when work begins and remain on a side street until the work is completed and the street is drivable again. Every effort will be made to open streets at the end of a given workday. Residents who need to come and go during the day will be advised to move their vehicles to a side street during the process.

Regular reports on the progress of the work will continue to be posted to the town's Facebook site--Town of Clayton, NC--on an ongoing basis. Residents will be able to follow the scope of the work as it moves from street to street, Biggs said.

Streets getting the most work over the last few months include segments of South Smith Street, North Mial Street, East Front Street, West Second Street, East Horne Street, South Fayetteville Street, East Hamby Street, Central Street, Dogwood Street, North Cooper Street, Crescent Street, Compton Street, North Robertson Street, Willow Street, Kildee Street, Pineland Street, John Street (Horne to 70), East Stallings Street and East Whitaker Street.

A third streets project that includes portions of five more streets, including an extensive rebuilding of John Street, is in full swing as well. Streets getting work include East Joyner Street, Durham Street, Parrish Street, Hobbs Street and John Street (70 to Holding). The work on John Street is expected to consume more than half the total budget.

The work is being mostly financed through the 2008 bond issue approved by voters that also provided funds for park expansion and improvement.

The Phase 1 work, which reached completion early last year, repaired and resurfaced 32 blocks of streets, with installation of 7,500-linear-feet of new concrete sidewalks. The project also provided curb and storm drainage repairs.

For a look at the scope of the Phase 2 work, please click here.

For a look at the scope of the Phase 3 work, please click here.

For a map of the Phase 2 work, please click here.

For a map of sidewalk install locations, please click here.