Washington, Southway first projects completed; downtown paving to follow
This article is brought to you by Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union. Saving money looks different in every stage of life, but it matters at every one. Whether you’re just getting started and building your first safety net, or you’re planning ahead to protect what you’ve worked hard for, the right strategy makes all the difference.
At Solidarity Community FCU, our RevUp savings account grows with you: simple, steady, and built around your goals. No matter where you’re starting, it’s never too early, or too late, to take control of your financial future. Learn more about our RevUp savings accounts here: https://solfcu.org/rev-up-savings/
It’s paving season. That means orange cones, closed roads, and detours. More importantly, that means some of Kokomo worst roads are getting a makeover. Motorists already are enjoying a smooth ride along Southway Boulevard and North Washington Street, and there is more to come.
Mayor Tyler Moore sat down with the Kokomo Lantern to discuss this year’s paving project list, and he is especially optimistic, thanks to an unexpected windfall of additional money from the State of Indiana. Moore explained that the state made additional road funding available through its Community Crossings grant program. The city resubmitted an application and is awaiting the outcome.
But the paving season has started regardless of that grant application. Already, paving crews from E&B have paved North Washington Street and Southway Boulevard; projects originally slated for 2025. And the city has a wish list for this year. Some of the larger projects will be handed to E&B, but the city has its own equipment to do some of the smaller paving jobs.
“We bought a new paving machine, and they thought it was ready to go,” Moore said. “But it went down, fortunately, before asphalt was available. It should be up and ready to roll now.”
The mayor went down the list of major projects he hopes will be completed this year: Defenbaugh from Home to Courtland; Markland from Goyer to Ind. 931; Boulevard from Goyer to U.S. 31. They are costly projects, Moore admitted, but long overdue.
“(Markland) is a high-dollar job, just with the number of lanes,” said Moore. “And Boulevard is a mess. We’re dipping into some of our EDIT (Economic Development Income Tax) reserves for some of the larger, more cumbersome projects that fall between what we would use Community Crossings for or could do ourselves.”
And then there is downtown. Last paved in 2009, the streets in the city’s center have degraded significantly, as have the sidewalks. Already, work is beginning on repairs, which should result in a lot of paving.
“We started on sidewalks,” said Moore. “The crews have been working on bricks that have popped up and moved and deteriorated on the sidewalks. They’re filling the cracks with sand. But during the heavier paving season, we want to resurface the streets, not just around the courthouse square, but hopefully everything from Superior to Mulberry and Washington to Union.”
If all goes to plan, Moore estimated that as much as 9,000 tons of asphalt might be paved by the city this year, including streets and alleys. But it rarely goes according to plan. Bad weather, mechanical breakdowns, asphalt availability, and unexpected emergencies are parts of the equation.
“It’s never enough,” said Moore. “There are residential neighborhoods that haven’t been touched for 15-20 years. But when you look at traffic counts and such, you hate to say it, but we’ll get them on the list. Try to be patient. Try to understand we have 700-plus lane miles to try and address, as well as alleys.”
Rather than sit and stew about it, Moore encouraged citizens to continue reporting street conditions to the Department of Public Maintenance and Refuse. It is the best way to get a potential paving project on the list for consideration, he said.
“Then, we can bring them up when we sit down to prioritize the list year after year,” said Moore. “If we have time left over in a given year, or if we happen to be in the area paving another street, we might be able to address it.
“We primarily rely on the assessment that’s done at the beginning of the spring, with the engineering department going out and rating all of the streets. Sometimes, additional issues arise, or maybe the scoring or rating that they gave wasn’t true or accurate. There may have more issues than what they thought, and sometimes they forget something that needs more attention.”
Following is the proposed paving list for 2026. If a road in need of repair in not included, Moore encouraged the community to contact the Department of Public Works and Maintenance at 765-453-4030.
THOROUGHFARES
- Defenbaugh Street from Home Avenue to Courtland Avenue
- Southway Boulevard from Ind. 931 to Albright Road
- Markland Avenue from Ind. 931 to Goyer Road
- Boulevard from Goyer Road to U.S. 31.
- North Street (boundaries not disclosed)
- Morgan Street (boundaries not disclosed)
RESIDENTIAL STREETS
- Union Street from Jefferson Street to Richmond Street
- Main Street from Jefferson Street to North Street
- Richmond Street from Apperson Way to Main Street
- Bell Street from Hoffer Street to Boulevard
- Springwater Road from Highland Springs Drive to Highland Springs Drive
- Armstrong Street between Markland Avenue and Park Avenue
- Woodland Street from Leeds Street to Courtland Avenue
- Jayne Drive from Park Road to Country Club Drive
- Highland Street from Park Road to Country Club Drive
- Courtland Avenue from Park Avenue to Harrison Street
- Courtland Avenue from Markland Avenue to Defenbaugh Street
- Elizabeth Street from Boulevard to Hoffer Street
- Monroe Street from Ohio Street to Main Street
- Diamond Street from Markland Avenue to Vaile Avenue
- Locke Street from Markland Avenue to Vaile Avenue
- Katana Drive from Arrow Street to Flint Way
- Flint Way from the Taylor Township Fire Station to Ind. 931
- Kimberly Drive from Center Road to Arrow Street
- Albany Street from Cartwright Drive to Ind. 931
- Market Street from North Street to Morgan Street
- Havens Street from Ready Mix Concrete to Ind. 931