Davenport drivers could soon see the benefit of extra gas tax money in upgrades to some of the city's oldest streets.
On Wednesday, June 3, 2015, the City Council moved forward with plans for a Brick Streets Base Repair Program. The program would use some of the extra money from Iowa's 10-cent gas tax increase to fund the renovations.
"We're able to take these tax dollars that we've been given by the state and really stretch them out, and take care of some of these brick streets that so many people have been asking us to do for so long," said public works director Mike Clarke.
Clarke said that over the winter, the ground underneath the bricks became very saturated, and cars crushed the bricks into that base.
The city plans to fix the streets by hiring a private contractor to repair the sub-base, then use its own brick-laying machine to replace the surface.
The streets included in the program are:
- Ohio Street - from McKinley to Rockingham
- 12th Street - from Main east to mid-block
- 5th Street - Pershing to Iowa
- Taylor Street - from 4th to 5th
- Madison Street - from 9th to 10th
Ohio Street residents like Lola Rice say the work is much needed.
"The street needs to be re-done, period. It is bad. It's bad, bad," said Rice.
Next Wednesday, the council will vote on whether or not to fund the repair program for $720,000.
City leaders plan to spend the remaining gas tax funds on a seal-coating program and the purchase of a used asphalt machine.