When it comes to street repairs and paving, success breeds success, says Freeport Mayor Jodi Miller.
After decades of neglect, the two-term mayor explains the city of Freeport has made tremendous
progress over the past four years in making much needed repairs to the city’s streets.
 

“Since 2022, our Freeport’s Streets Department has been averaging about five miles of resurfacing and
repairs per year,” says Jodi. “Considering we had been averaging just over one mile per year prior to
that, it’s evident we are moving in the right direction. With help of our contractors, we were able to
resurface an amazing seven and one half miles last year alone.”
The secret to the city’s success, explains Jodi, has been the Street Department’s growing ability to
resurface many of Freeport’s residential streets that don’t require infrastructure repairs or replacement
below the streets.

“We purchased our first piece of street paving equipment in 2022, trained our Street Department
employees how to pave, and have been improving our outcomes and efficiency ever since,” says Jodi.
“Every year since we have been improving our efficiency by about one mile per year.”
Jodi explains the city saves anywhere from 25% to 50% on the cost of resurfacing when the Street
Department does the job. These savings have helped to stretch the city’s street repair budget and have
added miles of resurfaced city streets.
 

“Big street and infrastructure repair projects like Adams Avenue, Pearl City Road, and Locust Avenue will
likely always require us to bring in contractors to help us,” says Jodi. “But where and when we can get
our public works projects handled internally and stretch the taxpayers’ dollars to do more for them, we
will do it every time.”

The city’s aggressive street resurfacing program is a part of a larger comprehensive $200 million
infrastructure improvement project by the Miller administration that includes improvements in
Freeport’s street, water, sanitation, and storm water systems.