Rough Road … For Now: Second Street milling begins as road reconstruction progresses
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The beginning of the end is coming for the reconstruction of East Second Street.
Crew from CatCo, the contractor for the project, have begun milling the street, ripping up the new pavement laid down last summer after potholes had made traversing East Second Street difficult. The overall project involves repaving nearly three miles of East Second Street, including East 4th Street from Prendergast Avenue to East Second Street and East Second Street from East Fourth Street to Tiffany Avenue. The project will also include traffic signal upgrades, drainage and signage improvements, and pedestrian enhancements such as new sidewalks, ramps, and crosswalks.
Drivers have seen much of that work taking place over the past several weeks while waiting for work to begin on the road surface. That work has now begun.
In 2025, East Second Street had become so damaged that city officials lobbied state Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Molitor to do what they could to persuade the state Transportation Department to undertake emergency repairs even though the reconstruction project was looming in 2026. After weeks of complaints from the public, a coordinated effort between the city Public Works Department and state Transportation Department to mill and pave the westbound travel lane, along with targeted sections of the eastbound lane, began in July 2025 to enhance drivability and support overall roadway conditions until the reconstruction project took place.
The reconstruction project was initially to have included a change to traffic flow on Second Street that included the removal of street parking and the creation of bike lanes, but that portion of the project was opposed by many city residents and the City Council before it was removed.