Concord has budgeted $2.38 million for street paving this year and people driving downtown can see that money being put to use on a daily basis as crews grind up old asphalt and lay down new blacktop.
Mid-summer is peak paving season and Concord is no exception.
Most of the work done so far is known as reclamation, in which the existing asphalt is ground up by a machine, mixed with new material, and then pressed down into a three-inch-deep layer on the road.
A more extensive process is called cold plane and overlay. It also removes the existing surface and uses it to partly make a new surface, and is scheduled to take place on some streets which are in worse shape.
According to the Neighborhood Street Paving section of the city website (https://www.concordnh.gov/1387/Neighborhood-Street-Paving), modern paving is done on a 30-year cycle for most roads, following a pattern of reclamation, crack-filling, shim overlay and cold plane and overlay.
For residents wondering if their street is next, or for drivers looking to avoid construction zones, the city publishes a weekly update of where work is happening and what’s on the horizon.
Work has started and covers were lowered on the following streets in preparation for cold planing next week:
■Centre Street (from N. Main St. to Union St.)
■Capitol Street (from N. Main St. to N. State St.)
■Green Street (from School St. to Pleasant St. and Centre St. to Prince St.)
■North State Street (from School St. to Pleasant St. and Court St. to Capitol St .)
■Park Street (from Main St. to Green St.)
■Pleasant Street (from Main St. to Spring St.)
■School Street (from N. Main St. to N. State St. and Green St. to N. Spring St.)
■Warren Street (from N. Main St. to N. Spring St.).
More information is available at concordnh.gov/pavingplan.