Citation

Am. City Cty. 2006; 121(7): 42.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Penton Media)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This brief article describes a comprehensive, court-ordered initiative undertaken to rehabilitate 280 miles of roads and replace 39 bridges in Nueces County, Texas. Some of the rural roads in this county were in such poor conditions that ambulances responding to emergency calls were forced to drive 20mph on 60mph zones in order to avoid large potholes. Farmers could not fit their equipment across old, narrow timber bridges and school districts were spending excessive amounts on bus maintenance because of rough roads. To fund this $58 million Nueces County Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (NCIRP), the county issued Series 2004 Certificates of Obligation to be repaid by taxpayers in 20 years. By fast-tracking the project over 18 months, the county locked in a low interest rate as well as capped fuel, material and labor costs, saving millions of dollars. The author reports on local reaction to the funding plan, the emphasis on quality in the road and bridge repairs, and the role of the Texas Department of Transportation. All roads and bridges in the project repaired by April 2006, with costs coming in under budget by $6.8 million.