County engineers and contractors updated the board Sept. 3 on safety-focused road work and a bridge repair project funded by grants and supplemental state funds.

Chris Prowse of EMC Engineering Services told commissioners the county had received a restriping (road-restriping) grant of $305,000 and recommended moving the restriping for Davis Lake Road into the 2025 project so the county can apply restriping over a fresh asphalt surface. Prowse said the restriping package covers roughly 50 miles (52 miles before removing Davis Lake Road) and that the county is exploring contracting a private firm to perform roadside edging and prep (“clipping”) because county staff capacity is limited. He explained clipping as removing debris and grass to reveal the true edge of pavement so striping crews can maximize lane width when repainting lines.

Staff discussed a second, GDOT-administered safety action grant (a federal/state program) the county applied for that carries a roughly $500,000 maximum award; GDOT will administer and bid that work and handle construction administration. The county expects the GDOT project to be delivered in 2027 and to include center lines, edge lines and upgraded signs (more reflective material and breakaway posts on selected roads). Road staff said a combined set of grants and packages will result in more than 120 miles of resurfacing or restriping across the county over the near term using grant funds rather than county resurfacing budgets.

On Hodeany Road Bridge, staff said DOT flagged spalling on a cap and other items in an inspection; the county has a bid package on the street, will hold a pre-bid meeting and hopes to receive bids by the end of the month with the intent to present a contract award at a near-future work session. Staff said the bridge repair is funded with supplemental state/local grant dollars and will reduce the county’s share of the project cost.

Discussion vs. decision: these were informational updates. The board did not award construction contracts at the meeting. Staff asked for authority to proceed with advertising and to consider contractor-led clipping/prep to meet temperature and schedule constraints for striping.

Follow-up: staff will report back with contractor bids for clipping/prep, and with final cost details once bids are returned; GDOT will manage the larger 2027 package.