Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said Tuesday that residents should prepare for traffic delays as workers take on fixing roads paid for with a $100 million bond to tackle some of the city’s worst roads.

“As you look down at your GPS and you see that solid red line that means traffic delays and congestion,” Dyer said at a news conference about the endeavor. “Generally, when I’m traveling that would be a burden to me. But today, it’s a blessing because I knew exactly what was behind the road construction signs and the barricades in place. What it means is better roads for Fresno.”

The city has about $1.2 billion in deferred road maintenance and about $300 million in deferred sidewalk maintenance, Dyer said. The $100 million will go to repairing roads, sidewalks, and median islands. The initial push will last through November when the rainy season begins and resume in the spring.

With Fresno’s bonding capacity expanded, Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi said taking on this debt is a wise investment.

“The city of Fresno has significantly improved its credit worthiness, allowing us to responsibly issue bonds so we can invest in critical infrastructure right now rather than waiting years while costs continue to rise,” Karbassi said. “Construction costs have surged by as much as 65% in recent years, and acting now saves taxpayers crucial dollars.”

See the List of Priority 1 Streets

The first phase of road repair will focus on major streets, including the following:

• Shields Avenue between Fruit and Palm avenues
• McKinley Avenue between Peach and Clovis avenues
• Southern portion of downtown Fresno
• Shaw Avenue between Blythe and Valentine avenues
• Cesar Chavez Boulevard between North and Cedar avenues
• First Street between Sierra and Bullard avenues

Come spring when rains stop, the second phase will focus on neighborhood streets, said Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea. She said she wanted work to begin on Shields Avenue after school children called her office about the road’s condition.

“For decades, too many of our streets have told the wrong story of neglect, of potholes, of uneven opportunity,” Perea said. “Starting today, we are writing a new story.”

On the aggregate, Fresno streets average about 60 on the pavement condition index, which has a highest rating of 100. While that means Fresno ranks as “fair,” Dyer said about a third of streets rank as poor. Those will be focused on first.

Repairing the half-mile stretch of Shields Avenue, ranked as 22, costs about $700,000 as crews spent Tuesday milling the entire road before giving it an entirely new coat of asphalt, said Public Works Director Scott Mozier. Costs vary depending on the conditions of the road, but drivers should expect traffic delays. The city will send out notifications about delays.

“We appreciate the community support. It’s a short-term inconvenience really for a long-term gain of a revitalized neighborhood, good smooth street to drive on and improved safety,” Mozier said.