SCRANTON -- Now that spring is here, the city of Scranton has started a major street-paving operation all meant to fix crumbling streets that have gone years without work.
Crews moved in Monday and started tearing up William Street, one of 10 streets being repaved with federal money.
But millions more are being spent this year in other parts of the city on streets the mayor said desperately need it.
The hum of the heavy equipment was overpowering on Scranton's north side, especially on William Street. This is where a more-than $300,000 paving project just got started, taking deteriorated streets and making them new again.
"It is a good thing. It needed to be done," said Helen Tucker who lives on William Street.
Neighbors watched as crews dug up the old pavement in front of a school and the Holy Rosary Church where Gerard Pugh spends a lot of his time.
"It makes the area look a little better, especially for the community that comes to worship on Sunday at church," said Pugh.
On the city’s west side, Scranton is using money from a state loan to mill and pave streets that haven’t been paved in years.
Try $2.2 million worth of paving on roughly 40 different city streets from Division Street to more heavily traveled streets in the downtown.
Jan Voshefsky grew up in the city and said a little paving goes a long way to help people feel pride in where they live.
"It makes you feel good. People around the neighborhood see a brand new freshly paved street. It makes them feel great," he said.
And while it's fair to say there are more than 50 streets that need to be paved, it's a start after a long, bumpy road for city streets.
"They just like to see a little shoe polish put on the old leather," added Voshefsky.
Paving 10 streets on the city's north side should wrap up within a month.
Scranton's mayor said the city took out a loan to pay for the rest of the street paving that will be done in the upcoming months.