Arlington's streets are due for a $15.2 million makeover, with funding coming from a quarter-cent street maintenance sales tax approved by voters. This tax, generating between $25 million and $30 million annually, covers 90% of the city's street maintenance operations, spanning across its 3,010 lane miles. The rest of the budget is topped off by the General Fund. With the plans set for Fiscal Year 2026, Arlington residents can expect their commutes to grow smoother as the city prioritizes repairs according to an annual pavement survey and color-coded Overall Condition Index.
But how exactly does a street make the cut for maintenance? The city employs an Overall Condition Index (OCI) that grades streets on a 0 to 100 scale, where roads with scores under 50 need complete rebuilds, those between 50 and 69.99 might get a facelift, and anything over 70 is in the clear. Thanks to this system, 80% of Arlington's streets maintain a "green" or "yellow" grade. Roadwork plans, detailed on Arlington's official website, target several streets for various programs aimed at sustaining and improving transportation infrastructure.
Selected "red" streets, those with a poor OCI rating, will undergo the Roadway Reclamation Program – a comprehensive overhaul where existing asphalt is pulverized and mixed with lime or cement to form a new, sturdier road base, followed by fresh asphalt paving. Burney Road and Russell Curry Road are on the schedule to start this process in March 2026, as reported by the City of Arlington.
Work on yellow and red streets under the Concrete Panel Replacement Program kicks off in May 2026. This includes the extraction of damaged concrete panels and their substitution with new base material and concrete in areas such as Green Oaks Boulevard and Sublett Road. In line with the commitment to revamp the city's arterial routes, the Mill & Overlay Program for "yellow" streets with satisfactory road bases – like Sanford Street and Mill Creek Neighborhood – is set to start later in August 2026. Residents can also submit street maintenance requests via the Public Works department, ensuring that no pothole goes unnoticed in the collective stride toward smoother sojourns through the city.
