Higher prices could mean fewer road and bridge improvements in Bartholomew County this year.
Last year, 38 miles of roads were authorized to receive a new blacktop during the annual overlay program. In comparison, the 2019 program currently calls for spending about $2.4 million to repave about 30 miles, county highway engineer Danny Hollander said.
“Oil prices have gone up a lot,” Hollander said. “Last year, we paid $1.42 a gallon for oil. Some of the recent bids have been as high as $2.10.”
Stone prices have also risen by about 10 percent, Hollander said.
The county will pay $9,700 a mile to do chip and seal repairs this year, he said. That is almost a 35 percent increase from what the $7,200 a mile paid last year, he said.
Roughly three times less expensive than new blacktop, chip-and-seal treatments usually repair cracks for at least five years, and help prevent potholes from developing during freeze and thaw periods, Bartholomew County Highway superintendent Dwight Smith said.
Although there have not been many freeze and thaw events so far this winter season, Smith said Monday that there are still eight to 10 weeks of winter weather ahead.
The roads that will receive a new blacktop won’t be determined until Smith surveys more than 700 miles of county road in either late March or early April.
Last year, the county began widening a few parts of Talley Road, which is being improved in partnership with the city of Columbus.
However, the vast majority of improvements to Talley probably won’t be made for another two to three years, Hollander said.
While four bridges are scheduled to be replaced this year, Hollander said none are located along major thoroughfares.
Design work has been finalized on two of the bridges, which means construction is likely to begin as soon as weather permits:
Bridge 66 — located along County Road 900 East, just south of the Shelby County line
Bridge 301 — located along County Road 300 East, just south of County Road 900 North
However, crews will have to wait a number of months until a portion of Denois Creek is cleaned out before work can begin on replacing Bridge 278, located along County Road 400 South, just east of State Road 11.
Replacing Bridge 44, located along County Road 425 North, east of County Road 800 East, is also on this year’s list.
But Hollander says there’s still an extensive amount of preparation work required, so construction bids probably won’t be sought until late this fall.
All four bridges are small structures, which means individual project costs will likely run between $400,000 to $500,000, he said.
Other county projects include adding a sidewalk to Carr Hill Road from the Orchard subdivision to just past Mutz Drive.
Within a few weeks, workers will also begin placing a new roof on the covered bridge at Mill Race Park, Hollander said.
