Barlow reveals plans for paving Oswego streets

OSWEGO, N.Y. – The city of Oswego will begin smoothing over some of its bumpiest roads this May when the city’s new paving project rolls out.

The project will be the latest in a long series of projects under Mayor Billy Barlow to improve driving conditions within the city.

When Barlow first took office as mayor, there was one issue that stood out among the community.

“When I ran for mayor the first time, and even the second time,” Barlow said. “The biggest complaint was the lack of paving being done in the city.”

Resident complaints have resulted in almost $8 million being invested into paving and infrastructure throughout Barlow’s tenure.

“Paving our streets was more of a housekeeping thing and really needed it,” Barlow said. “So we budgeted about $850,000 of funding we got from New York state to pave our streets, starting with some of the worst roads in the city.”

A map released by the city notes that the streets that have been paved during Barlow’s term highlights these efforts, showing that nearly every road in the city has been paved.

The new project also looks to pave roads on the Trillium Garden Development, a small residential area on the edge of the city.

“This year we had a little bit of extra funds from last year,” Barlow said. “So I was able to tie it all together and propose the biggest paving plan in the history of the city, totaling over $1 million.”

Some residents are concerned about how the paving process will affect living on the street, including Oswego resident Kyle Allen.

“It’ll stop me from going to Tully’s all the time or the gas station easier,” Allen said. “So it’ll get in the way, but at most it’ll be a minor inconvenience I think.”

The project is expected to put a cap on Barlow’s term in office.