- Alachua County currently spends about $26 million annually on roads, but it needs at least $41.6 million to maintain the current average pavement condition index of 60 out of 100.
- The county has added pothole crews and is considering a work release program to address road maintenance amid public scrutiny.
- The majority of county roads, especially residential ones, remain unaddressed in current plans, with a $408 million backlog from 2022 and continued network degradation expected.
Public Works Director Ramon Gavarrete updated the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Thursday on the condition of some 700 miles of roadway and efforts to expand pothole crews amid a surge in public feedback.
The presentation, adapted from 2021 when the county launched its 10-year roadway plan, contained the same overarching fact: Alachua County’s average roadway quality will continue to deteriorate even as spending reaches $26 million annually.
“On the average, it’s around $25-$26 million a year that you’re investing in your roadways right now,” Gavarrete said. “So that’s part of the challenge that we have today. We’re not catching up. We’re still losing ground.”…