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Public works reviews road ratings, confirms multi-year grants and County Road 0 timetable
Summary
Richland County Public Works Committee reviewed its road-condition ratings, discussed three LREP grant projects that extend through 2028 and heard an update that County Road 0’s blacktop work is planned to be finished by Oct. 31 barring weather or major snags.
The Richland County Public Works Committee on its September agenda reviewed county road-condition ratings, discussed three locally-applied grant projects that carry funding through 2028, and heard that County Road 0 remains on a schedule to be paved by Oct. 31 unless there are significant delays.
Committee members heard from Highway Department staff that the county is using a 1-to-10 pavement rating scale, with 10 representing a new road and 1 the worst. The department reported many segments rate 4 or below and that ratings are kept by route segments because different stretches of the same county road have differing conditions.
Highway Department staff said the committee has three grant applications under the county’s local road grant program (referred to in the packet as the LREP program). The highlighted projects are: County Road F from Highway 60 toward Pond Lane and Richwood Road; Highway 58/Schauff Lane on County Road N, where drainage box culverts and substructure work are priorities; and County Road 00 in two segments from Riverview Ridge toward Highway 0 and Highway 60. The staff presentation noted the grants remain valid through 2028 and that road ratings are updated every other year; the most recent statewide ratings cited are from 2024, with the county performing an internal check annually.
On County Road 0, staff said Frontier (the contractor) had completed utility relocation and that paving was sequenced in small segments to keep traffic moving. The Highway Department reported Frontier had responsibility for costs tied to their delays; change orders can be submitted to the State of Wisconsin for additional federal/state funding if needed. The department said blacktop work is slated to be completed by Oct. 31; if weather or plant availability forces a pause, crews will place a temporary base lift (about 1.5 inches) to hold until spring.
Committee members asked about the relationship between traffic volumes and prioritization, and staff said low-traffic roads can remain at lower ratings longer while higher-profile routes need higher service levels. Staff also indicated the county’s internal road-ratings file will be kept updated and placed in the committee folder for members’ review.
No formal vote was recorded on the ratings document or the grants during this meeting; staff were directed to put the rating spreadsheets and related grant materials into the committee folder for review ahead of future prioritization.
The discussion included clarifying details about timelines: the LREP grants cited carry funding through 2028, road ratings used were from 2024 (county does annual internal checks), and County Road 0’s paving remains scheduled to finish Oct. 31 if the weather cooperates. The committee did not adopt new policy or commit new county funding during the session.
