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Massive San Jose Repaving Project To Cover Nearly 300 Miles Of Roadway

SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) -- The City of San Jose is well on its way to repaving 280 miles of roads this year, with hundreds more to come over much of the next decade.

At a press conference Monday, Mayor Sam Liccardo thanked the voters for passing Measures B and T with a supermajority, as well as recognize the contingent of local, county, and state elected officials, in funding the historic project. All told, funding from SB 1, and Measures B and T, will average about $87 million per year, over ten years.

"We are going to get this done. And I'm excited to be able to say that we are on the road to repaving," said Liccardo.

The massive influx of funding is in stark contrast to the years after the recession, when budget shortfalls left San Jose's roads neglected or in disrepair. Small asphalt repairs ballooned into major fixes, and thousands of severe potholes left families shelling out on average $800 worth of repairs every year.

ALSO READ: City of Oakland Launches Ambitious $100 Million Street Paving Effort

Magdalena Carrasco, councilmember in east San Jose, was pleased to see her district receive a significant portion of this years allotted repair schedule.

"When you see infrastructure, roads, parks, when it starts to erode, it erodes the way we feel about ourselves. But more importantly, it erodes the trust and confidence we have in government," said Carrasco.

Louis Robles is a foreman with MCK Services, one of eleven contractors working on the roads this summer. Robles says his crew is repaving about 1,100 feet of road per hour.

"San Jose is like Santa Claus right now. Spending the taxpayers' money in these residential areas. Which is nice. A lot of people are very appreciative," said Robles.

Neighbor Manuel Alves has lived Plato Arroyo Park for 12 years, and says Monday's work was first time the roads have been paved since he began living there in 2007.

"I'm very happy, because like that, the streets will be brand new again, it'll be awesome. At least our tax money is going somewhere," said Alves.

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