Monday’s public hearing on the Gering One and Six Year Street plan expanded on the need for more funding to address some of the major street projects facing the city.
Arroyo Road and Hackberry Drive projects totaling $346,000 are on the one year plan, which Transportation Superintendent Casey Dahlgrin said has been budgeted for in the new fiscal year, but it leaves many larger projects on the long range agenda.
He noted the 10th Street mill and overlay project from the Union Pacific tracks to Stable Club Road has increased to an estimated $2.6 million, and it continues to rise. “With that being said, we need to probably come up with a plan to do some more street projects because we’re not catching up. And it’s, it’s getting pretty bad,” Dahlgrin said, referring to the condition of the 10th Street pavement in that area.
City Engineer Annie Folck told council members there’s plenty of federal money available, especially through the Safe Streets for All program, but before they can access that pool of funding, they’re working on a planning grant to help put together proposals that would include public input.
“We’ll do surveys, open houses, we’ll do a big public input push on that as well. We’re working on finalizing our grant agreement with FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) and once that’s done, we can start moving forward,” said Folck.
Council member Susan Wiedeman then asked “So you’re thinking that then the funds from the LB 357 fund would be as your match,” to which Folck replied “Those would become a match. And then, we also have some of that (LB375 funds) earmarked for water line and sewer line replacement as well.”
Dahlgrin added “But we do have money in the budget for the match for this start up (process).”
The other major street project remaining on the plan approved by the council is a mill and overlay of M Street from 11th Street east to the city limits, currently estimated at nearly $2.8 million.
