Commission hears update on 20th/Seventh Avenue paving, expanded striping and cost-share options

At the County Commission’s Aug. 25 meeting, Public Works Director David Bonhambliss reported that crews are widening, shouldering and preparing to pave 20 Seventh Avenue but that rain has paused work. Bonhambliss said the county has striped all recently overlaid or chip-sealed roads except 20 Seventh Avenue and plans to restripe many roads based on a recent road survey.

Bonhambliss said paving progress, when weather permits, is about three-quarters of a mile per day but that widening before paving increases the time required. He told the commission: “We get about 3 quarter mile a day, so you're probably looking both to 2 weeks,” and said widening would likely roughly double the overlay time.

Staff raised a Sept. 15 deadline for a state cost-sharing grant. Bonhambliss said that deadline may be too soon to prepare a complete application and suggested the commission consider letting that round pass and focusing on a later cycle; he also flagged two project ideas for future cost-share work: paving three miles of Mohawk Road (which would require bridge work at an existing span) and addressing the Maxwell Game Preserve road to strengthen it.

The commission discussed sequencing of the 20 Seventh work, material availability and the possibility of teaming with the City of Galva, which was expected to decide on its part of a Galva Road project at its city commission meeting the same night. Bonhambliss recommended additional discussion at a work session about prioritizing projects for grant cycles and surveying costs for Mohawk and Maxwell.

No formal appropriation or grant application was approved during the meeting; commissioners directed staff to return with more details at a work session.