Hot Springs unveils 2026 paving plan: 63 streets, $5M purchase order under voter-approved program

Assistant City Engineer Michael Hill presented R-26-18, the City of Hot Springs’ 2026 annual street improvement program, which lists 63 streets for work that includes an estimated 12.4 miles of milling, 15.3 miles of asphalt paving, 3.6 miles of pavement preservation and 4.2 miles of alternate streets that could be substituted if funding or utility conflicts arise. Hill said selections were based on citizen input, public-works recommendations and pavement-condition data from the 2025 First Step street inventory.

Hill told the board the work will be delivered under the city’s existing term contract with McGeorge Contracting (doing business as Cranford Construction) and proposed a $5,000,000 purchase order funded from the voter-approved Our Roads Now program, which expires June 30, 2027. On preservation treatments, Hill described a Cape Seal option for Shady Grove Road as a lower-cost, quicker treatment to extend pavement life with less traffic disruption; the Cape Seal project will be bid separately and returned to the board for approval.

Directors sought clarification on treatment definitions, miles per treatment, and how alternate streets are selected when utility work conflicts arise. Hill demonstrated the city’s public dashboard (Spa City Street Smart) where residents can view pavement condition, video footage of streets and the recent paving history. "This item is to approve the 2026 annual street improvement program," Hill said, summarizing the recommendation to adopt the list and move forward with project delivery under the existing contract.