By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

AUBURN – City crews repaired half as many roads this summer as they have in years past because of high bids by contractors and high oil prices.

The city tries to repair about eight miles of city streets each year. This summer, they completed repairs to almost four miles in 20 projects.

“We’re hoping to catch up next year and balance things out,” said Laurie Smith, assistant city manager.

She said one project, a multi-street reconstruction in the Fairview Avenue area between Court Street and Minot Avenue, was delayed because of higher-than-expected bids. It has been postponed to 2006.

“That’s one of those projects where you get a good bang for your buck,” Smith said. “Your crews are all in the same area and they can just go from street to street. You get a lot done in a short period of time.”

In 2004, Auburn repaired more than seven miles of roads in 28 projects. That included a 2.74-mile project on Garfield Road.

There were no big projects on this year’s list. Many were less than a half-mile in length and out of the way for most drivers.

“Most people wouldn’t necessarily see them, except for neighbors and city crews,” said Public Works Director Bob Belz.

“The dollars don’t stretch as far when you do small projects,” Smith said. “The projects end up disconnected and there’s costs to get set up for each one.”

She said the city consistently spends $2.75 million on road work each year, with each road budget spanning two fiscal years. The total includes road repairs and sewer line work.