In 2023, the crumbling Monterey Road between Highway 101 and Luchessa Avenue is expected to be reconstructed, as is the heavily truck-traveled Luchessa and adjacent Automall Parkway.
Within the next year, many roads in the northwestern quadrant of Gilroy will get some repairs.
That’s according to a five-year street repair program approved by the Gilroy City Council on Sept. 13.
The city’s Pavement Condition Index (PCI), which is used to determine the condition of its 124 miles of roads, is at 62 out of 100, or considered “fair.”
However, it has dropped 14 points since 2012, and seven since 2017, putting Gilroy at an “inflection point” where the PCI is expected to drop at a much quicker rate, causing rehabilitation costs to drastically increase, according to earlier reports to the council.
As part of the budget approved by the council in May, the city will more than double its annual street maintenance allocation to $3.9 million, using a “blended” approach that is expected to raise Gilroy’s PCI to 67 by 2025, according to City Engineer Gary Heap.
The blended approach uses recommendations from a maintenance program called StreetSaver, while also addressing high-use streets that are in need of repairs, Heap said.
Those streets include sections of Luchessa Avenue between Monterey Road and Rossi Lane, Leavesley Road east of the outlets to the city limit, Monterey south of Luchessa, and Welburn Avenue between Wren Avenue and Monterey.
“This will provide equity throughout the city,” Heap said.
Funding has been secured for the first two years of the plan, according to Heap, using a combination of the General Fund, Senate Bill 1 and Measure B. Future funds will have to be addressed in upcoming budget cycles.
Gilroy resident Ron Kirkish pointed out older reports from city planners, which accurately predicted the conditions of the roads today. He urged the council to continue funding road maintenance to prevent further degradation.
“I would hope that members of the council will take what they predict seriously,” he said.
For a map of upcoming road projects, visit cityofgilroy.org/858/Better-Roads-Ahead.
