Philly pavers intend to expand reach with help of expanded budget

More Philadelphia residents will see their streets resurfaced if Mayor Michael Nutter’s budget proposal comes to pass. And after a winter like this, officials say the roadwork is a necessity.

Streets Commissioner Dave Perri’s budget includes an extra $4 million for to cover the costs of a new coat of asphalt on about 85 miles of city streets. This budget year, 66 miles of streets have been repaved.

“That budget increase is for the city’s local street network, so it’s mainly residential streets,” Perri said.

After some experimenting with new paving techniques, the department has returned to milling and paving, he said.

“Technology for street repaving has not evolved all that much over the past couple of decades,” Perri said. “It’s basically an aggregate and asphalt mixture that we use for street-paving operations.”

After a record number of potholes last year — and even more expected this year —  Perri says a newly paved street will be a big gift to many city residents.