AUBURN - The days of feeling like you're driving a World War II-era tank will soon be over - the Arterial will be fixed.

William Lupien, Auburn's superintendent of engineering services, announced at Thursday night's city council meeting that engineers from the state Department of Transportation informed him that both the east and west sides of the pothole-pitted highway will be paved from Seymour Street to the west city line. The state will pick up the bill for the repairs.

"It's on their agenda for the year," Lupien said.

A specific date has not been finalized, and state engineers could not be reached for comment.

Councilman Williams Jacobs was so pleased to hear the announcement that he asked Lupien to repeat it so residents watching a recording of the meeting at home could absorb the news thoroughly.

"I've been getting a lot of calls about that road," Jacobs said. "And people I see on the street, that's all they're talking about. It's in terrible shape."

Lupien said traffic on the Arterial averages about 12,000 vehicles per day. DOT numbers show that the average climbs as high as 24,000 vehicles per day near the main intersections of Routes 34, 38, 5 and 20.

But it's not only the high volume of traffic that causes cracks, potholes and bulges in the surface. Lupien said the finest paving material is found near the top of the road. When water seeps in and freezes, it expands and causes malformations in those materials. Plows can also catch a bump or a crack and compound the problem to the point of causing gapping holes, ones that always seem to attract a passing tire.

Lupien also presented the city's yearly road repair program at the meeting. The proposed $950,000, which will come from the capital improvements budget, is $50,000 more than last year's plan allotted. Thirty-eight streets made the list, including six that will be repaired if an additional $200,000 in funding is available. Council members requested the program a few months early so they could have more time to request bids.

"We didn't award the bids until June or July last year," Jacobs said. "And there were 13 or 14 streets we didn't get to. We have to start getting bids in April or May."

Lupien said his one concern was that by taking bids too early, contractors often overprice the amount for paving materials in anticipation of inflation. He said by waiting a bit, the city can get a fixed price for those items.

Some of the streets slated for repair are Oak, Locust, Wallace, Button, Wall, Nelson, Englewood and Dayton.

Staff writer Benning W. De La Mater can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or ben.delamater@lee.net