KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
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Blue Springs is making good on its promise to improve neighborhood streets after voters approved funding last August. Work has begun on several streets across the city, with Arbor Drive on the north side being one of the first to undergo milling and overlay.
"I think it was starting to need some repair," said Dennis Depugh, who lives at the end of Arbor Drive.
The road improvements are part of a comprehensive plan that will address 64% of failed streets and 16% of poor streets throughout Blue Springs. The project will cost approximately $15 million over the next few years, with the city developing a 15-year plan to continue maintaining roads after that.
"Well, not too bad, just a few little bumps and you know, a little few bad places. But yeah, this is great," Depugh said about the previous state of his road.
The work began with curb repairs before moving on to milling and overlaying the roads with a special asphalt mix that the Missouri Department of Transportation uses for highways.
Brian Spano, Communications Manager for the City of Blue Springs, explained that crews are using a technique called echelon paving.
"[It] means they will pave both sides of the road at the same time, rather than having a seam down the middle, which sometimes can allow for failures like water getting underneath, cracking the road, potholes," Spano said.
The funding comes from a no-tax-rate increase that voters approved in August 2024, with 74.63% voting yes.
"We're working with our contractor for a 15 year program to continue improving our roads. Those roads would still be monitored. We would still look for roads that are still in disrepair, still in poor condition and continue to update those as well," Spano said.
Depugh, who voted yes on the measure, believes the improvements are worth the temporary inconvenience of having to park his car up the street.
"I think we need to maintain the good streets and it's good for the neighborhood, good for everybody," Depugh said.
Spano said residents will receive door hangers 48 hours before work begins on their street, and signs will be posted prohibiting street parking until the work is complete. According to contractors, each street takes approximately 2-4 days to complete.
The city has published a schedule and map of which streets will be improved and when the work will take place.
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