Norwich – For the third time in seven years, residents decided they want newly paved roads, better drainage and bridges, as voters supported a $5 million bond to repave nearly 28 miles of roads and possibly the drainage system in the flood-prone Norwichtown area.

The road bond was approved 2,395 to 1095.

The bond work will start in 2014 to repave 3.4 miles of roads in Stanley Israelite Norwich Business Park, a portion of Main Street and upper Canterbury Turnpike, according to Public Works Director Barry Ellison. In future years of the five-year project, the Cherry Hill area, side streets off Asylum Street, the Greeneville area, Thamesville and the Woodland Drive areas would be repaved.

Other streets will receive crack sealing and other preventive maintenance.

Ellison said there is no specific work planned at the city waterfront, but the language in the bond question for pier and wharf improvements was included in case some unknown problems arise or the city has the chance to obtain grant funding that would require a local match.

The past two bonds approved by voters, $5 million in 2006 and $5 million again in 2009, have repaved 44 miles of roads and covered preventive maintenance on another 19.25 miles of roads.

Ellison said he hopes to use part of new bond to rehabilitate the Pleasant Street bridge over the Yantic River and repair drainage systems throughout the city, including drains in the flood-prone West Town Street area from Norwichtown to Yantic, Sholes Avenue and low-lying parking lots and buildings.