MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — Waco is investing $36 million in road projects for 2025 through the Better Streets Program to address the 38% of city roads currently in poor condition.
- Residents like Angel Montemayor and Stanley Gutierrez acknowledge the inconveniences of construction but welcome the long-overdue improvements to aging infrastructure.
- The city's strategy focuses on maintaining good roads while improving those in fair condition, explaining why the percentage of poor roads has only slightly increased since 2018.
- Major projects include completed renovations on University Parks Drive, ongoing work on Bagby Avenue, and planned improvements for Washington Avenue.
- Despite temporary disruptions like dust and closed roads, residents maintain a positive outlook, believing the end results will justify the inconveniences
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Waco is investing $36 million in road projects for 2025 as part of the Better Streets Program, addressing the 38% of city roads currently in poor condition.
Angel Montemayor has lived on the corner of Bagby and Connaly Street in Waco for years, watching as construction crews transform his neighborhood.
"After so long, things get old, just like the sewer system. I believe the roads been built back in the 50's," Montemayor said.
His street is currently undergoing major renovations as part of a larger project.
"From Kendrick all the way to HEB they're redoing the entire street," Montemayor said.
Like many Waco residents, Montemayor has been driving on deteriorating local roads for years but is now looking forward to the improvements.
"This has been a long time overdue. Our sidewalk has been broken up and uneven for a long time," Montemayor said.
In 2018, 37% of Waco roads were found to be in poor condition. That number has slightly increased to 38% today, prompting city leaders to implement the Better Streets Program.
City officials explained their strategy in a statement:
Poor condition streets are the most expensive to remedy. The various strategies used to address these streets dramatically impacts localized traffic when under construction. During the first year of the BSW pavement program, poor condition streets made up 37% of the network. The reason for minimal change in this category is that our primary goal remains to keep good condition roads in good condition and to move fair condition roads to a good condition.
The city has allocated $36 million for road projects in 2025. University Parks Drive renovations have been completed, while parts of Bagby Avenue are finished, with others still under construction. Washington Avenue is among the streets slated for future improvements.
Stanley Gutierrez, who lives on Washington Avenue, has witnessed construction throughout Waco but maintains a positive outlook despite the temporary disruptions.
"If you look at the street, there are a lot of cracks, can't say there's a lot of potholes, but there's a lot of cracks within the street," Gutierrez said.
While the construction brings dust and closed roads, Gutierrez believes the result will justify the temporary inconveniences.
"Yes, it is an inconvenience cause there is dust flying all over the place, but at the same time, you know that once it's going to be done, it's gonna look great," Gutierrez said.
To learn more about the Better Streets Program, you can visit here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
