Auburn residents and visitors might be noticing some rough riding throughout the city. A number of streets have been stripped and milled, but have yet to be finished off with asphalt tops.

One of the most obvious examples is also one of the busiest. A portion of Genesee Street has been left unfinished since the end of June, and drivers are dodging manholes and orange cones as they pass through downtown.

But according to local contractors, what could be perceived as a delay in the project is just part of the road construction process. And city officials are saying the work on Genesee Street will be finished before the end of next week.

All the road work is part of Auburn's annual road improvement program. This year, the city is re-paving approximately 30 stretches of its 150 miles of city streets and 350 miles of lanes.

In April, city council approved $1.4 million for the project before awarding the bid to Paul F. Vitale Inc.

According to William Lupien, superintendent of engineering services, The stretch of Genesee Street between from West Loop Road to Seminary Avenue is scheduled to be topped during the overnight hours between Monday and Tuesday. The work should start at 6:30 p.m. and be finished by 7:30 a.m.

However, that schedule is dependent on weather, Lupien said Wednesday. If rain hampers those plans, the construction will be delayed for another day.

A handful of Auburn roads were also scheduled to be completed Wednesday, he said, including parts of Court, Church and Logan streets.

And according to Ben Vitale, of Paul F. Vitale Inc., it is normal for roads to remain unfinished for multiple weeks. One they mill the surface of the road, they have exposed the bad areas in the pavement, Vitale said.

Crews then must then repair things like drainage structures and manhole covers before finishing the job.

"We always talk about a two week window between milling and topping," Vitale said. "It is very impossible to get it done the next day."

Paul F. Vitale Inc. will distribute flyers with information about the Genesee Street road work before starting construction. Residents and visitors are also asked to refrain from parking in the construction zone during scheduled work period.