CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The City's Rapid Pavement Program is getting a lot of Corpus Christi streets fixed much faster than before.
In fact, the City said it is so far ahead of schedule that crews will be done with their 2024 list by October.
Streets cracked and beaten in the Casa Linda neighborhood are getting a much needed facelift.
They're part of the city's Rapid Pavement Program.
Public Works Director Ernie De La Garza told 3NEWS, crews expect to finish all of their 2024 streets ahead of schedule, allowing them to get a jump start on next year's list of streets.
He said the streets are picked based on their pavement condition scores.
"When we first got our scores we had close to 400 miles of residential streets that were in need of reconstruction," he said. "We use those scores to prioritize the worst ones to put on the list first, once we get that information, we will select roads in cluster form."
Casa Grande Drive is one of the streets that is seeing the benefits of the program.
"They only take about four weeks to get things done in a cluster," De La Garza said.
That's a lot faster than the city's previous method that would also focus on utility, curbs and sidewalks.
"While they were complete projects they were talking a long time to complete one block," he said. "After one year you would only finish six miles per year."
Now, there are a total of 330 projects in the books.
"And that totals about 85 miles, to put that into perspective that's from here to Kingsville and back," City Manager Peter Zanoni said.
The program approved by council is planned out through 2028.
Zanoni said this is a big deal because just five years ago when he started with the city, there wasn't even a Public Works department.
"We know there are at least 10 years worth of work to get all of our neighborhood streets where it should be that comes from decades of neglect," he said.
Zanoni said it will take time and crews will still have to come back to address other projects on certain streets.
"We know there are some issues with the curbs in some areas and sidewalks potentially but the main thing the community wants is a drivable street," he said.
Part of the problem he said was how streets were built below standards, something council has since changed.
"We've increased the quality of design standards the toughness of it, two times to where new subdivisions being built today have to have a thicker, prolong life of street," he said. "Streets were failing in subdivisions even before they were completed."
To see if your street is on the list, click here.
If it's not on the list, De La Garza said the City still has what's called 'reactive maintenance' to go and fill potholes. You can call 3-1-1 to add your street.