Summer usually means road construction season here, and Thursday the City of Erie announced where road improvements can be expected this year. 

The project engineer for the city said their road improvement program will involve various components but drivers should not experience major traffic changes.

The City of Erie is announcing their 2023 road improvement program that their project engineer said paves 10 linear miles which is equivalent to 23 land miles.

“We have milling and resurfacing, we have a roadway reconstruction plan, and other than that we have the ADA ramp instillations and multiple traffic upgrades,” said Chad McConnell, project engineer for the City of Erie.

McConnell said crews will spend two days working in an area – one day to mill and one day to pave. He said the projects are taking place in certain neighborhoods throughout the City of Erie.

“It’s basically low to moderate income the federal government tells us what neighborhoods are considered low to moderate income and with the funding that we receive we have to spend it in those neighborhoods,” McConnell said.

The Assistant Director of Public Works said a study is done to determine which roads will undergo construction.

“We conduct a road survey every year public works bureau of engineering, the director’s office we drive every road in the City of Erie and assess it and then we rank them and then we pave the roads that are in most need of reconstruction,” said A.J. Antolik, assistant director of public works for the City of Erie.

As paving continues officials from public works asks that drivers and residents remain patient.

“Remain diligent, adhere to the signs, no parking, road closed. We have our crews out that are working it’s for their safety, for residents’ safety, for drivers’ safety to just take your time look at the roads. We try and post where we’re going to have road closures ahead of time so that residents of the community that live in that area and the neighborhood know,” Antolik explained.

The project engineer said paving has already started and contracted work begins mid-June and will continue through September and the full 2023 guide is available online here.