Niles will spend more money on roads this construction season than it has in the past decade, according to the city’s director of public works.

On Monday, the Niles City Council approved a roadwork package totaling approximately $390,000 that includes improvements to portions of nine city roadways.

Public Works Director Joe Ray said it is the most the city has appropriated toward roadwork since between the years of 2000 and 2005, when the city was spending approximately $500,000 annually.

The city spent nearly nothing on roads in the first three or four years following the most recent recession, he said, before devoting some money back to streets.

The city did $350,000 worth of roadwork last year, including using approximately $50,000 in federal money for a project on Broadway.

“The revenue has been slowly increasing,” Ray said, adding that he expects the city to receive even more funding in the years to come.

Ray said the rise in funding could be attributed to the road bill passed by the legislature last year and some other smaller pieces of legislation.

By his calculations, Ray said the city should get an extra $190,000 for 2017 roadwork.

Niles is contracting with Niblock Excavating, of Bristol, Indiana, for the roadwork. The company submitted the low bid of $281,944.

The council also gave Ray approval to negotiate with Niblock for an additional $109,000 project for 17th Street from Eagle to Lake streets.

Combined, the projects are expected to cost $390,994.

All projects include cold-milling, pavement resurfacing, pavement marking, ramp work and other related work, according to the council report.

All work will be paid using the city’s major and local street funds.

The project is expected to be finished by no later than Aug. 12.

2016 Niles roadwork:

Desaix Street — Phoenix to Front

Regent Street — 13th to 14th

S. Fifth Street — Michigan to Superior

Superior — Third to Fifth

Silverbrook Ave. — 11th to 15th

Parkway — Grant to French

Clay Street — Parkway to Market

French Street — S. Joe Ave. to S. Lincoln

17th Street — Eagle to Lake (proposed)