The Hesper community could start losing gravel roads and gaining paved ones this summer.

Douglas County commissioners approved a resolution Wednesday night to proceed with a road improvement project for the area. The resolution also states how the 40 property owners in the community will be assessed for the road improvements.

“We’ll begin taking bids and lining this up for construction,” Commissioner Bob Johnson said.

The county will begin accepting bids for the project in May. About three miles of road would be paved as part of the project. The paved areas would be near the intersection of North 1100 and East 2300 roads.

Residents in the Hesper community, which is in Eudora Township, formed a road improvement district with the consent of the Douglas County Commission. Some community members wanted their roads paved because of traffic and problems with dust.

By creating a road benefit district, the initial road improvement project would be funded by the residents, along with the upkeep and maintenance of the roads. Property owners will pay assessments for the improvements over a 10-year period.

Assessments are based on tracts of land with a home, church or business on it. If people own two houses, they will pay the assessment twice. New home or property owners also will pay assessments if they buy at a later time, meaning the amount people pay could decrease.

The estimated construction cost for the project is $228,000, County Engineer Keith Browning said. That figure could change based on bids submitted for the project.