Relief in St. Paul as repairs to 11 of the 'Terrible 20' roads are completed

St Paul has "turned an important corner" following the completion of repaving work on 11 of the city's so-called "Terrible 20" roads, the mayor said.

In a bid to bring welcome relief to commuters frustrated by potholes on St Paul's busiest roads following last winter's deep freeze, the city began work in August on those in urgent need of repair, according to the Pioneer Press.

Mayor Chris Coleman today welcomed the end of the first phase of repairs and said the remaining 9 would be repaved, reconstructed or redesigned by the end of next year, provided his 2015 budget is passed.

"We have turned an important corner today with the conclusion of these road repairs," he said in a news release. "We do not want to repeat the winter and spring we had this past year, and the work we were able to do this summer and fall is key to getting our roads in full working order."

Roads that have received repairs include Cretin Avenue, Eustis Street, 11th Street, Fairview Avenue, Grand Avenue, Hamline Avenue, Johnson Parkway, Lafayette Road, Wabasha Street and Wheelock Parkway.

KARE 11 says the cost of the repairs was estimated at $2.5 million in September.

Roads in line for reconstruction next year include sections of Summit Avenue, East Third Street, and other parts of Cretin Avenue and Wheelock Parkway.

In his 2015 budget, MPR reports Coleman has allocated more than triple the funding for the city's arterial roads, at $10 million, while cutting $8 million – almost two-thirds – from the residential street budget.

The weather seen in winter and spring took a brutal toll on roads in the Metro area, with Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter saying there were possibly twice as many potholes as seen in the previous year.

The city of Minneapolis pledged an extra $1 million for pothole repairs in May, which was earmarked to bring the city's roads "back to average", while state lawmakers approved an extra $10 million to tackle highway potholes.