Half-Paved Streets Infuriate Clifton, N.J. Residents

CLIFTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Some road rage has been building up in one New Jersey town, where residents are fed up with streets that never seem to be getting fixed.

As CBS2's Erin Logan reported, when friends visit Samantha Petritis at her Clifton home, they can't help but ask her, "What's up with the two toned street?"

They tell her it looks "half-assed."

More than 40 roads in Clifton are half paved because of a project the city negotiated with PSE&G. In April 2016, the utility started much-needed gas line upgrades, according to city officials.

The plan included curb-to-curb paving only on the roads that have received upgrades over the last seven years. Petritis' street was not one of them.

"It's incomplete; poorly thought out," she said.

Petritis said the situation is frustrating, because she has lived on the same street all her life and the road has never been smooth. In the past, PSE&G only refilled the trenches and paved over the areas that were excavated.

Luca Puzo said he is not losing sleep over it, but "Now, we have a half paved road -- which would look better if fully paved."

Frustrated residents were happy to hear that the half-paved roads will soon be fully paved. Mayor James Anzaldi tells CBS 2 the city was given the green light to start repaving the roads at the cost of $2 million, but that may not happen until spring 2018.

Fred Margot feels that $2 million is a waste of city money, and does not understand the fuss.

"It really doesn't bother me," Margot said. "It's smooth, and this side of the street is not bad."

Margot said what is important is the purpose of the project – gas line upgrades.

"A lot of people were having trouble with their furnace is not producing the heat they were supposed to, so they went with the high-pressure lines," Margot said.

Half-paved or fully paved, Petritis said she is not going anywhere. But she feels for those who are hoping to sell their homes anytime soon.

Anzaldi said residents were made aware of the project before it started. In fact, PSE&G held public meetings for residents to address any concerns.