Branson consultants say modest budget increase would keep city roads from deteriorating

Consultants from CJW presented the findings of a pavement management plan to the City of Branson during a study session, saying the citywide pavement condition index is about 66 and that an increase in annual paving funds would reduce the city’s backlog and long‑term repair costs.

The plan—based on a network assessment that included IMS’s IRIS Pro Pave Van equipment—found that roughly 70% of Branson’s pavement falls in the good to excellent categories, about 18% is rated excellent, and the estimated backlog is 14% of the network. The consultant recommended increasing steady‑state mill‑and‑overlay funding from the current $1,350,000 allocation (part of a $2,000,000 annual mill/overlay budget) to about $1,760,000 a year to hold the PCI near 66 and lower the backlog toward a 10% target.

Why it matters: Branson’s street network supports about 10,000 residents and the city’s tourism economy. Consultants emphasized preventive maintenance to extend pavement life and lower future rehabilitation costs, and they warned that deferred…