City of Newberg Details Summer Repaving Schedule

NEWBERG, Ore. — Newberg drivers should expect some delays this summer as the city begins a round of street resurfacing projects aimed at improving road quality, accessibility, and long-term infrastructure planning.

According to City Manager Will Worthey, the repaving efforts are part of a larger strategy developed last year to ensure roadwork is efficient, data-informed, and aligned with City Council priorities—especially in Newberg’s older, southside neighborhoods.

“The action begins with the Public Works maintenance team,” Worthey said. “They choose street sections where the below-grade pipes have recently been replaced or improved, that are good candidates for resurfacing. They also choose sections that have a bad PCI, which is a pavement condition index.”

The city’s new policy prioritizes maintenance recommendations, deteriorated pavement scores, and council goals—specifically improving historically under-maintained parts of town.

To further refine the process, Newberg recently completed a citywide LiDAR scan, a technology that uses ground-facing lasers mounted to vehicles to capture road surface conditions. Worthey said the scan provides a more accurate and objective PCI score than previous “eyeballed” estimates.

“It scans where the road surface isn’t level—if it’s pitted or has potholes, that gives a very low PCI,” Worthey said. “It also scans the reflectivity of signs and where foliage is encroaching into the right of way.”

That new digital data will help the city plan resurfacing for 2026 and beyond, reducing the subjectivity of street selection.

“We’re already not arbitrarily choosing streets,” Worthey said. “But this takes it further—more data-driven, scientific.”

The city has committed five times more TUF-funded road improvement money than in past years, with $420,000 allocated through the end of the current fiscal year, June 30, and $920,000 budgeted for fiscal year 2025-26 (July 2025 through June 2026).

Gravel Streets and Highways

Worthey said that’s a fraction of what he believes is needed annually to truly address Newberg’s backlog of deteriorating roads—and doesn’t begin to cover the cost of paving unpaved streets.

“I’ve struggled with this. I don’t know how to fix what I call ‘Gravel Town’ without a massive funding infusion from somewhere,” he said. “Gravel streets are a complete rebuild, and the cost compared to grind-and-inlay is astronomical.”

He said a quote for paving a 600-foot street that’s 28 feet wide came in around $150,000, not including engineering, design, sidewalks, ramps and other related costs. He noted these projects typically qualify as capital improvements—something cities often rely on state or federal funding to support. Without that outside help, Worthey said, some gravel roads could remain unpaved indefinitely.

Main, College, First and Hancock streets are not included in the city’s repair plan, as those fall under the Oregon Department of Transportation’s jurisdiction.

“Unfortunately, everyone in ODOT at all levels is telling us they have no money,” Worthey said.

He encouraged residents to voice concerns about highway pavement improvements to state Sen. Bruce Starr, who in February was tapped to lead a legislative effort to improve spending accountability at ODOT.

Even with budget constraints, the city’s plan extends into future years, with ADA ramp upgrades, preservation work on still-good roads, and improved scheduling all underway.

“If I had two or three million dollars a year, I could start to replace small sections of Gravel Town over time,” Worthey said. “But even then, a million dollars would soak up one small section.”