Omaha daily bee., 1921-09-25
Paving On
City Streets
Decaying
Kou,sky and Hopkins Admit
Bad Condition, Blame Lack
OF Funds-Spring Paving
Program Planned.
Will Spend $l,5OO,OW

Many OF Omaha's principal streets
are suffering a general decay OF
pavement.
This was admitted Yesterday by
City Commissioners Joseph kout-
sky and John Hopkins.
Koutsky is head OF the public i'm
provemen,s department. and Hop
kins. head OF the street maintenance
department.
Resurfacing and repaving OF
Omaha streets has no, kept pace
with the needs OF the city, koutsky
admitted and made al effort to ex-
plain the situation.
Hopkins department is supposed
TO keep the city's paved streets i'll
passablc condition.
Lack Of Funds"
When confronted yesterday with
the pertinent question Of "wha.
about the condition OF some of Oma-
has paved streets:" he Immediately
fell back OIL lack OF funds"
Koutsky told of legislation Sc
cured from the state by city council
last year. with regard to street inl.
provcmcnts, and then outlined the
program which he hopes to put
through next year.
AT the beginning OF this year,
we had many contracts pending"
he said. Some OF these had been
signed by the contractors and by the
city. others were ready for sigma
ture.
Plan Big Program.
Some of these contracts were for
repaving. Contractors held back be-
cause they wanted the money in
sight.
"ln the last legislature. we obtain
ed authority to sell public improve
ment bonds so contractors could be
given their money upon completion
OF jobs.
1--WE have just sold SSO0,O0O OF
these bonds. We plan to sell ST.
100000 more the early part of next
year and then carry out the biggest
paving, repaving and resurfacing pro-
gram ever attempted in Omaha. We
are optimistic. Well succeed" ~
Bids Received.
Early this summer, council reject
ed bids on Is paving districts be-
cause OF high prices. Bids have been
received and awards made on so dis
tricts. Next December and January,
new bids will be sought on these
districts and bids. advertised for SOL
new districts. according to Koutsky.
Wisdom of council in setting
aside many bids this year. has been
by the slump in ,prices,'
lie said. Cement used on the Leav-
job cost $420 a barrel last
January. Cement is now selling fer
s232 a barrel. I predict further
irop before spring"
Patched and Repatched.
Koutsky says he realizes the condi-
lion OF some OF the city's princi-
pal streets and that the new city
charter authorizes the council to or
der surfacing OF paved streets any
where in the city, subject only to
protest of 40 per cent OF the abutting
owners. He promised toi
AXE advantage OF this clause as soon
is the paving season opens in the
spring.
In the forthcoming readvertise-
nent for bids, Sixteenth street, from
Douglas to Victor avenue, will be
included for. resurfacing. This as
shalt was laid in 1905 and has been
patched and repatched. The asphalt
IN Sixteenth street, from Nicholas
o Writ, was laid in 1898. Sixteenth,
street, from Douglas to the Carter
lake boulevard, will be given atten-
ion, according to Koutsly's pro-
yram for spring.
Contract is pending for the repav-
ng of Twenty fourth street, from
.ake to Spalding. This has been al
owed to go by default and neces-
states readvertising. A district al
eady has been created for Farnam
treet, Twenty-fourth to Tllirty-sev-
nth streets. under the law, which |
yives council authority to order paw
ng within one and one-half miles
# the city hall. Another district has
,een created for Farnam, froin Thir-
y-seventh to Fortieth strests. This
work. will be done next spring, ac-
ording to Koutsky.
Large Paving Jobs.
The new program also includes
7ortieth street, Cunning to Hamilton
treet; Sixteenth street, viaduct to
linton, and various other districts.
\ district has been created for re-
,aving Eighteenth street, from Cap
tol avenue to Webster street, but
lids have not been sought.
The four large paving jobs of this
eason are Leavenworth street, from
to Sixtieth streets,
last spring, 81, 900;
Dodge hill, now in progress, $l02,-
100; St. Marys avenue, NOW in
'rogress, $4,000; Vinton street,
thirteenth to Twentieth streets, just
tarted by the Murphy Construc-
ion company, $48,500 and various,
ther small districts, $105,O00.