LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Public Works Department gets pavement preservation award for Moraga


Public Works Director Edric Kwan holds The Sorenson Award Photo Vera Kochan

It is evident with all of the road work that went on around town this summer that public works has been busy improving the streets. The 2019 Sorenson Award for Excellence in Pavement Preservation should come as no surprise for its bestowment on the town of Moraga.

Director Edric Kwan attended the Oct. 29 ceremony in Park City, Utah, to accept the prestigious award honoring the town of Moraga from the National Center for Pavement Preservation.

Some criteria for the award require entries to give examples of any notable preservation applications or techniques along with unique public awareness actions; the acceptance of preservations by elected town officials; demonstration of preservation principles; and, most importantly, the documenting of tangible benefits such as increased life of the pavement, utilization of new concepts and less frequency of reconstruction.

Moraga Town Manager Cynthia Battenberg gives credit to the residents who formed the Revenue Enhancement Community Outreach to Neighborhoods in 2010. Its two years of grass roots efforts and meetings helped to put Measure K on the ballot which passed in November 2012.

According to Kwan, Moraga first gained recognition for its pavement efforts in 2013, while winning the Metropolitan Transportation Commission award for Best Pavement Management Program of the Year.

Kwan explained, "After that MTC began to follow Moraga's work." Continuing to be impressed with what a small town can accomplish, in 2018 "MTC asked me to write an article for the Pavement Preservation Journal ("Public Outreach Spurs Big Boost in Town Pavement Condition Index") Winter 2018 issue, which got a lot of attention. It's because of the article that we were asked to fill out an application for this award."

Past recipients of The Sorenson Award have been large municipalities. Kwan proudly stated, "Moraga may not be a big agency with ample resources, staff and funding, but we do care enough to do something to improve our local streets and roads . and it shows."