Celina Street Paving Project Underway, Loan Considered

Celina beginning a project to pave all its city streets with a $2 Million Rural Development Loan likely on the way.

Some $300,000 in paving already underway. Celina Mayor Luke Collins said he hopes to secure the loan within three months and keep the project moving. Many of the roads in the city have not been paved in some 35 years. He said he hopes to get the loan at 3.5 percent interest.

“Some of them have already been paved, but it is expensive,” Collins said. “Paving is expensive, but that’s what the people want, and we’re stewards of the people, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

Collins said the city will pay back the loan installments of some $141,000 a year for 20 years. He said engineers from the Tennessee Department of Rural Development have been surveying the city’s plans and he hopes to have the remainder of the project approved this summer.

“Democracy is beautiful,” Collins said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything and I would not move anywhere else that had anything different, but it is slow. Rural Development, you know, has certain guidelines that you have to go by and certain steps, and we’re following those as quick as we can.”

Celina Aldermen passed a budget amendment Tuesday night to cover some $314,000 worth of repaving that has already been done.

“I’m excited about it,” Collins said. “It feels a lot better to drive across a smooth road than a bumpy road.”