The Town of Bethlehem maintains over 179 miles of local town roads. Our resurfacing program is designed to pave 13 to 14 miles of roadway each year. This schedule allows us to resurface each town road every 12 to 13 years. There are many variables involved in making the decision on which streets need our attention and which streets can wait. The age of the blacktop, traffic conditions (vehicle volume and weight), the structural stability of the sub-base, the severity of the Bethlehem winters, the conditions when the existing pavement was put in place, and how good the blacktop mix was prepared all have a bearing on how long a road surface will sustain itself.

Pavement Deterioration

Blacktop pavement deteriorates on a scale similar to a bell curve. It remains in very good shape for a number of years; but once it starts to show wear, it fails at a rapid rate. If this failure is not caught and corrected within a short time frame, it could mean much more extensive repairs above and beyond a thin overlay of new blacktop. Failure of the roadway pavement causes a poor riding / walking surface and allows ponds of storm water to accumulate, which causes potholes and extensive cracking that requires costly routine maintenance and generates safety concerns for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

Road Assessments

Every two to three years the town does a system-wide road assessment on pavement conditions where we rate the 179 miles of town highways. Two of our experienced paving crew leaders conduct the assessment for continuity purposes. We will be adding a sidewalk condition assessment to our program in the near future. This assessment gives us a basis on where we need to focus our efforts to preserve pavement integrity.
    

State & County Roads

The paving program listed above is for town roads only. A listing below is provided of New York State and Albany County roads within the town, along with contact information.

New York State Roads Within Town

• Bridge Street (Route 396)
• Cherry Avenue Extension (Route 140)
• Corning Hill Road (Route 32)
• Delaware Avenue (Route 443)
• Delmar Bypass (Route 32)
• Elsmere Avenue (Route 335)
• Feura Bush Road (Route 910A)
• Glenmont Road (Route 910A)
• Kenwood Avenue (Route 140 - Delaware to Cherry)
• Maple Avenue (Route 396)
• New Scotland Road (Route 85)
• River Road (Route 144)
• Route 9W (Route 9W)
• Slingerlands Bypass (Route 85)

For more information, call the New York State Department of Transportation at 1-800-POTHOLE or 518-765-2841.

Albany County Roads Within Town

• Cherry Avenue (Route 52)
• Creble Road (Route 55)
• Elm Avenue (Route 52 - Delaware to Feura Bush)
• Elm Avenue (Route 52 - Jericho to Creble)
• Font Grove Road (Route 306)
• Jericho Road (Route 53)
• Krumkill Road (Route204 - Russell to Schoolhouse)
• Old Quarry Road (Route 102)
• Old School Road (Route 53)
• Russell Road (Route 204)
• Schoolhouse Road (Route 204)
• South Albany Road (Route 53)
• South Street (Route 101)

For more information, contact the Albany County Department of Public Works via email or by calling 518-765-2055.