Mayor Rahm Emanuel kicked-off the 2014 arterial street repaving program this morning.

“This year, we will repave more streets than in past years, increasing our workload to further combat the pothole-filled condition of many of Chicago’s arterial streets caused by the extremely harsh winter weather,” Mayor Emanuel said.

She 6300 block of South Ashland is the first city street being resurfaced this year.

With this investment to improve our infrastructure, we are Building a New Chicago and improving the quality of life in every community.

Earlier this month, the mayor announced that City agencies and private utilities plan to resurface a total of nearly 350 miles of arterial and neighborhood streets and alleys in 2014.

In Mayor Emanuel’s first term in office, nearly a quarter of Chicago’s 4,600 miles of streets will have been resurfaced.

DWM plans to increase their workload in 2014, to installing 85 miles of new water mains, 21 miles of new sewer mains, relining 51 miles of sewer mains, and install 15,000 new water meters. DWM will also repave 133 miles of roadway. The first repaving project is following the completion of sewer upgrade in the 6300 block of South Ashland.

In 2014, CDOT plans to repave nearly 100 miles of arterial streets, 90 miles of residential streets and five miles of alleys. Gas, electric and telecommunication utilities are expected to repave 20 miles of streets as part of their infrastructure work.

Last year, the City realized a savings of approximately $14 million through the coordination of projects with utilities and the requirements that they fully restore the roadways after their construction projects.