Fresno City Council President Tyler Maxwell helps cut the ribbon on a road repaving project in his district on Tuesday. Photo by Frank Lopez

Fifty-seven years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson was president, the nation was in the midst of the Vietnam War, the original Star Trek series debuted on television and man was three years away from stepping on the moon.

It was also 57 years ago when streets in a Central Fresno neighborhood last saw significant road repairs.

To celebrate a road repaving and reconstruction project in the neighborhood roughly bordered by Chestnut, Winery and Normal avenues, Fresno City Council President Tyler Maxwell was joined Tuesday by residents for a ribbing cutting in front of the Christian Life Assembly Church on Weldon Avenue.

The neighborhood had some of the worst roads in the city, with frequent complaints to city hall in the last two decades about crumbling roads, potholes and loose chunks of gravel.

 

Maxwell, who grew up in and represents District 4, apologized to residents for going so many decades without repairs to their streets.

“It’s unacceptable that a Fresno family can pay taxes for nearly 60 years and not once see their neighborhood streets get repaved,” Maxwell said.

During his first year in office, Maxwell secured $1.8 million in Community Development Block Grant funding for the project. Construction began in October and was completed late January.

Maxwell said when he was campaigning door-to-door, people in the neighborhood always listed the conditions of the roads as their top concern. He promised he would repair the roads in his first year in office.

“Today, I’m proud to say we were able to deliver on that promise to this neighborhood,” Maxwell said.

Maxell also announced that $800,000 was set aside in last year’s budget to be reinvested in the Airport Neighborhood, which includes the neighborhood around Christian Life Assembly Church.

City of Fresno Public Works Director Scott Mozier said there remains a little touch up work to complete road repairs in the neighborhood.

Across the whole city, Fresno has $5.5 million in deferred needs, meaning if the dollars became available, that’s the work that would need to be completed first, Mozier said.

Roads are rated between a score of 0 for complete failure and 100 for a brand-new street. City wide, the average conditions of the roads is about 60. The neighborhood around the church has roads with an average of 20 for very poor condition.

The City of Fresno spends about $12 million a year on repaving efforts. Through cost analysis from experts, Mozier said with current spending levels, conditions will continue to degrade citywide.

“From a ‘fair’ or ‘at risk’ condition, to get all the way back to a borderline between ‘fair’ and ‘good,’ would cost an extra $50 million a year over a 10-year period,” Mozier said.

Mozier said the city is continuing to pursue federal and state grants, including from the federal infrastructure bill, to invest in Fresno roads.