Crews with West Contracting of Pacific arrived in Gerald last week to begin street work. Rain kept them off the job Monday, but they resumed work Tuesday on Bittersweet Avenue (right).

Each year in the late summer the city invests in improving its streets. Since 2012, when a special sales tax for street improvements was approved by voters, a section of streets has received special attention each year. Since then, the majority of streets in town have received new surfaces. The emphasis now is on repairing and maintaining the streets. In the 12 years since the tax increase has been in effect, a significant improvement can be seen in all the streets in town.

West should have the repairs completed by the end of the week. The next phase of this year’s work should begin shortly after the first of October. This will involve an innovative process that the city will utilize for the first time.

Corrective Asphalt Materials of Illinois will apply a restorative sealant to 23 streets in town. This sealant will extend the life of the asphalt for five to 10 years. This will cost the city around $107,000. If this sealant lives up to its claims, and other towns have highly recommended it, it could dramatically cut street expenses for the city for years to come.

City Administrator Nick Grube and Public Works Director Dave Defrenne have worked together to bring this new money-saving process to Gerald

In August, the Board of Aldermen approved accepting the outer road around City Park as a city street. It will be named City Park Drive. With the savings resulting from resealing city streets, rather than repaving them, it is possible that next year the city’s newest street could see some major improvements.