County looks at funds for roads

The Marshall County Board of Supervisors is looking at how the county can get the most out of this year’s road and bridge budget, about $2.8 million.

County engineer Larry Britt discussed options of how to get more work done with less money and how road work should be prioritized.

The board approved construction of a guard rail with money from State Aid. The work would be in a big curve that has a shoulder that drops off like a cliff, on Laws Hill Road. State Aid has approved expenditure of money to make this section of the road safer.

Britt also advised that a contractor wanted a permit fee waived of $150 to bore under a road.

Supervisor Keith Taylor questioned whether the county should start making this a practice, but Britt said this is not the first time someone has asked for the fee to be waived.

The board passed a motion to waive the fee.

Britt presented a list of roads and information about which roads should be prioritized for work.

He said State Aid had made a list of road sections it wanted worked on first, and he made a list of roads he thought needed work, and the board of supervisors has a list.

It comes to about 43.5 miles of work. The board discussed scrub seal which runs about half the price of microseal or $22,000 a mile, if no leveling is needed.

“If you did micro seal, you have to have a good road ahead of its use,” Britt said. “I think scrub seal may be the way to go.”

Several box culverts in the county need work to stop erosion, and money for this would come out of the same budget, Britt said.

“We live in sand. We all know Pigeon Roost (bridge) is sucking out and settling down,” he said.

“I think we need to hold back some money for these boxes we have to fix,” Britt said.

Another way to save money on bridge repair is to replace pilings under approach spans with creosote posts rather than steel, which Britt said is too expensive.

“It’s a patch, no doubt about it,” he said.

“I understand we have to try to stretch dollars,” said supervisor George Zinn III. “Is it scrub or micro seal?”

Britt said State Aid looks at a thin lift overlay in places. These last eight to 10 years where the state has put it, the bad spots have to be dug out first and patched before doing a one-inch lift, he said. The state uses a sand mix on the lift, he said.

“Peanut butter,” said county administrator Larry Hall.

Britt recommended picking a few miles in each district and doing the parts State Aid engineer Jerry Gilliland has chosen first.

Hall suggested using a scrub seal in front of micro seal and pay $23,000 a mile rather than $43,000.

There is about 1.5 miles of overlay to be done on Red Banks Road from the railroad to the four-way stop at Highway 178.