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Mayor Ness Unveils 2011 Pothole Reduction Program

[Duluth, MN] - Mayor Don Ness and city officials announced the implementation of the 2011 Pothole Reduction Program to significantly improve Duluth streets at no additional cost to Duluth taxpayers. The new program gives added value and longevity to some of the most challenging Duluth streets. This work will be done in addition to the Street Improvement Projects already scheduled for 2011.

Mayor Ness has committed to an aggressive investment in the city’s aging infrastructure. “Duluthians have endured poor streets and potholes for far too long. It’s time to make the kind of significant investment that produces long term results.” said Mayor Don Ness. “By aggressively addressing potholes, we are not only improving the road surface, more importantly, we are lengthening the life of these streets.”   

The plan involves accelerated repair of pothole laden streets, capping an additional 8 miles of streets with blacktop and crack sealing up to 60 miles of streets. The program will focus on effectively filling every pothole and sealing all cracks by midsummer in order to provide improved driving conditions throughout the city.

The city is proposing to use $600,000 from the Street Improvement Capital Project Fund, $240,000 from Minnesota State Aid funds dedicated for street maintenance, and $360,000 from assessment collections to fund the costs of implementing the program.

Mayor Ness implemented an aggressive Street Improvement Program in 2008 to repair 100 miles of roads over 5 years. The city has completed over 37 miles of significant repairs and reconstruction to date with another 25 miles planned for 2011.