JEROME, Idaho — Jerome's Yakima Avenue, also known as 200 South, is getting a full rebuild after years of deterioration and growing traffic from the city's expanding industrial area.
The Jerome City Council approved a $2.2 million bid from Extreme Excavation LLC last week to replace the road's failing asphalt with new concrete.
Alicia Acevedo Alvarado has driven Yakima Avenue to work for the past 8 years.
"It has been awful," Acevedo said. "I think I've had to replace at least one tire roughly every 2 to 3 years."
The road is riddled with potholes, and drivers — including heavy trucks — can be seen swerving to dodge the larger ones. After posting on social media asking if Jerome residents were ready for the rebuild, dozens of replies came in. One commenter said they slow down to about 10 miles an hour over the roughest spots.
Jerome Public Works Director Jon Caton said the road's condition is no secret.
"It's fully failed. Everybody in town pretty much knows that when they drive it," Caton said.
Caton said the rebuild has been on the city's wishlist for a long time, and the need has grown with the addition and expansion of businesses in Jerome's southeast industrial area.
"There's a lot of industries, there's a lot of heavy trucks driving on us, so that was one of the things that we were really interested in. Can we get a concrete road section or can we afford it, and fortunately we were able to do that," Caton said.
The road will be fully rebuilt at its current width, with 9 inches of concrete on top of 6 inches of gravel. The project will run from just east of the intersection with Lincoln east to Tiger Drive — about a mile. Once complete, the road is expected to have a lifespan of 50 years.
Acevedo Alvarado said the news came as a welcome surprise.
"It will be a huge difference. It's freaking perfect. I'm actually very excited for that. I mean it really made my day when you came in and said that," Acevedo Alvarado said.
Dates for the work to begin have not been set, but the city of Jerome said it will provide plenty of notice before construction starts.
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