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Some states, cities and counties say their road-repair budgets didn't anticipate asphalt prices that are up 25.9% from a year ago, so they're being forced to delay projects.
"We will do what patching we can, but this will truly, truly be a devastating blow to the infrastructure," says Shirlee Leighton, a county commissioner in Lake County, S.D., where a 5-mile repaving project was postponed after bids came in $79,000-$162,000 higher than the $442,000 budget [link mine; article by Judy Keen, "Oil Prices Seep into Asphalt Costs, Detour Road Work," USA Today, 2008.06.09].
The article cites numerous other suspended or shortened paving projects around the country, from Washington and Colorado to Michigan and Maryland.
Perhaps our county commissioners (and the candidates vying to replace them) will need to read up on cold asphalt methods to find paving methods with cheaper energy inputs. Otherwise, our ride into the future may only get bumpier.
By rejecting all of the bids and postponing the road construction until some time in the future, are the commissioners going to be able to better afford asphalt next year?
ReplyDeleteI notice oil prices going up almost every day setting new records. Next year might find needed road improvements that much more farther out of reach.
If we can't afford to sustain our current infrastructure, then maybe it is time to look at which paved county roads can do back to gravel and given to the townships.
The Lake County Highway Dept does a heck of a job especially in the winter. They are the ones that have to make something out of almost nothing.
We should have done 80% of the project this year so public safety isn't completely at risk on these roads. Dan Bohl said it best at the Candidate Forum. Maybe it's time the County Commissioners look at opting out or raising their mil levy to get more money for road repairs.
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