Some residents of Oxford may be annoyed at the rat-a-tat of jackhammers as they chew up sidewalks or asphalt. Others may grimace when they see the ‘Road Work Ahead’ sign marking street construction. But these sights and sounds also are the marks of progress on the city’s infrastructure improvement plan.

In an effort to keep the public informed about what work is going on where, the City of Oxford has begun sending out monthly updates to outline where crews will be working.

Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent said the idea arose from a town commissioner planning retreat. “It was a simple desire to be more effective at letting people know where work will be happening,” she said in an interview Monday. People want to know, Sergent said, where the work is being done and how long it’s going to take to complete.

The “where” is easy; it’s the “how long” that is less certain, she said.

The improvements are being made as part of a long-range comprehensive improvement plan to make upgrades to the water and sewer infrastructure. Grants and no-interest loans through the 2015 Connect NC bond legislation were available, but the city first had to adjust its water/sewer rates to qualify. Long story short, Sergent said, in the five years since, the city has gotten $50 million – $10 million in grants and more than $25 million in 0-interest loans.

This is a huge undertaking,” Sergent noted. “I am incredibly proud of what we’re doing,” but added that it certainly is not “glamorous.”

Visit www.oxfordnc.org/community/comprehensive_plans_projects.php to learn more. Call 919.603.1100 with questions or concerns.