The Secret to Award-Winning Roads

At the County of San Diego, we feel like we just won an Academy Award. The 2025 thriller, “One Battle After Another,” took home six Academy Awards, featuring our very own, pristine roads in the County of San Diego. 

Roads are one of the most visible services local governments provide. Residents rely on them every day to get to work, to school and to connect with the community where they live. Beyond driver confidence, well-maintained roads also carry an economic weight. San Diego’s businesses depend on our reliable network to move more efficiently. As a border region that need is critical, not just for San Diegans, but to help services and goods connect throughout our nation. 

When roads are in poor condition, the impact is immediate. When they are well-maintained, the system works as expected and builds community confidence in public services. 

In the early 2000s, The County of San Diego Department of Public Works (DPW) faced a clear but significant challenge. The condition of its nearly 2,000 miles of roadway was declining and the network was getting worse by the day. 

By 2016, the County’s Pavement Condition Index (PCI) had dropped to 60, with nearly one third of all roads rated “Poor” or “Very Poor.” Without intervention, conditions would continue to deteriorate, future costs would rise and the level of service residents depended on would erode.

In 2017, that trajectory changed. 

With direction from the Board of Supervisors and the passage of California Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1), the County would be able to receive much needed funding. With those resources now available, the County committed to a long-term strategy to stabilize and improve its roadway system. 

The goal was clear: To restore the network to a “very good,” 70 PCI score and to build an infrastructure program capable of sustaining that level of performance.

This was not a short-term effort. It required consistent execution and coordination over many years, supported by stable SB1 funding, disciplined planning and a strong shared vision across department teams. 

From 2017 through 2025, DPW delivered one of the largest and most consistent roadway improvement programs in California. This included resurfacing 778 miles of roadway and investing approximately $500 million dollars in transportation infrastructure. Crews improved drainage through hundreds of culvert projects, upgraded intersections and signals, installed thousands of ADA compliant curb ramps and redid the stripes on hundreds of miles of bike lanes. 

These improvements were not isolated projects. They were part of a coordinated system designed to extend pavement life, improve safety and reduce long term costs.

The results were steady and measurable. DPW’s diligent efforts improved San Diego County PCI by roughly two points per year. By 2025, DPW reached the Board’s goal of a PCI of 70. Just as important, DPW reduced the share of roads in poor condition and stabilized the system for the long term, laying the foundation for future improvements.

This progress was not driven by funding alone. It required a shift in how DPW manages infrastructure, moving away from reactive repairs and toward a proactive, data driven approach. Investments were guided by pavement management systems, geographic information system-based tools and improved asset data. SB1 funds were strategically allocated to maximize long term benefit, with a focus on resurfacing roads before they failed. This approach allowed DPW to stretch every dollar further and avoid more costly reconstruction in the future. 

Reaching PCI 70 represents more than a technical milestone; it reflects a consistent commitment to delivering a core government service at a high level. 

In 2026, these efforts were recognized by the California State Association of Counties, the League of California Cities and the County Engineers Association of California, which named San Diego County’s Pavement Management Program the best in the state. The recognition reflects both the scale of the work and the consistency of delivery over time. 

Maintaining this level of performance requires a culture of excellence, as well as discipline and ingenuity. Even today, DPW will continue to prioritize resurfacing as the most cost-effective strategy, while investing in drainage, signals, sidewalks and other assets that protect and extend the life of the roadway system and improve quality of life for residents. Each effort will build off of the last, ensuring that future teams and those that come after benefit from strategic investments. 

The road ahead will bring new challenges, but the past decade has shown that DPW has the culture and the people to keep paving, one road after another.

By Marisa Barrie P.E. She is the Director of Public Works at County of San Diego and can be reached at Marisa.Barrie@sdcounty.ca.gov. 

This story is featured in our May/June issue of American Infrastructure, read the print version here.