Palm Bay Road Advisory Group Decides How To Allocate Funds For Road Work
By Yvonne Martinez // July 18, 2015
will be presented to council on Aug. 6
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE FLORIDA – Five members of the Palm Bay citizens Road Advisory Group voted last week on how more than $4 million should be spent on fixing local roads.
The recommendations will be presented to council at the regular meeting on August 6.
Public Works Director Elia Twigg presented the board with a list of options to consider including alternative and less costly methods of road repairs, cost analysis and more long term solutions for identifying future road priorities.
“The proposal considers road type, economic development opportunities, traffic volumes, school bus routes, population, road conditions and amount of deterioration along with available resources to make the needed improvements,” Twigg told the group.
“The money and resources available just won’t go as far as we need. We are trying to be creative and stretch every dollar we have.”
Among the methods Twigg presented was a less costly resurfacing process known as “thin lift” resurfacing. The process costs approximately $100,000 per mile and the repair can last up to about four years.
Twigg also outlined other processes including base repair and overlay, asphalt treatment, preservation and reconstruction options.
“Other cities have been successful using the less costly methods,” Twigg noted. “It’s worth trying. The long term fixes require much more significant funding sources which the council and staff are working to achieve.”
The roads the board will recommend for approval are as follows:
FY 2015:
- St. Andre from Pomello to San Filippo (reconstruction)
- Malabar @ Jupiter intersection (reconstruction)
- Robert J. Conlan (base repair and overlay)
- Firwood from Halloran to Sanfilippo (thin lift resurface)
- Crescent/Dagget/Fortune north of San Filippo (thin lift resurface)
- Cogan from Babcock to San Filippo (preservation)
- Clearmont from Binary to Port Malabar (preservation)
- Troutman from Franklin to Palm Bay (preservation)
- Emerson west of Minton (preservation)
FY 2016:
- Culver (reconstruction)
- San Filippo @ Waco intersection (reconstruction)
- Community College from Motel 6 to Ring Power entrances (base repair and overlay)
- Lipscomb from Palm Bay Road to Tarpon Way (base repair and overlay)
- Brickell from Eldron to Emerson (thin lift resurfacing)
- Wyoming from Babcock to the end (preservation)
- Waco from Babcock to Emerson (preservation)
- Sarasota from Cogan to Lowry (preservation)
- Lowry from Henlock to San Filippo (preservation)
The Local Road Advisory Board is comprised of seven citizen members. Five are appointed by individual councilmembers and two are at-large citizens.
The board is tasked with assisting the city council, city manager and city staff in matters relating to prioritizing expenditures for local road maintenance and reconstruction projects.
To view the presentation document CLICK HERE.
