Cheyenne County approves Arcosa chip-seal project and locks oil price at $3.81 per gallon

The Cheyenne County Board of Commissioners approved a chip-seal road maintenance project, awarding Arcosa a $167,386.05 bid and authorizing staff to lock in oil at $3.81 per gallon for the project.

Why it matters: the project covers roughly the same road mileage the county treated two years earlier and targets specific county routes that commissioners said receive heavy truck traffic. Locking the oil price protects the county from short-term market spikes and allows scheduling with a contractor without committing to final purchase of rock until the project proceeds.

County roads liaison (identified in the transcript as the presenter on roads) told the board the planned work would cover about 4.7 miles — roughly equal to the 4.8 miles treated two years ago — and named specific routes under consideration, including Parch Road to the gravel section, Road 15 from Highway 36 North to Detour Road (about a half mile), and Angle Road. The presenter also separated out work for a village parking lot and said that parking-lot rock and oil would likely cost about $18,000.

The presenter said she preferred Arcosa's lightweight chip material, citing prior use and performance and noting its angular rock profile that "packs in and it stays in place." She described testing of other materials — a sand-seal-type product that she said produced fines that jammed equipment belt rollers — and recommended Arcosa based on durability and handling.

On costs, the presenter gave two figures: a projected total for oil application of $103,620.57 and an Arcosa bid of $167,386.05 for rock and oil combined. She said the oil price the county would lock is $3.81 per gallon; the vendor statement also said the county could cancel the job with little financial exposure if scheduling changed before work commenced.

Funding discussion noted the county has an asphalt budget that may not cover the full project and that the special road improvement fund has been used previously to make up shortfalls. Commissioners briefly discussed whether capital-improvement funds or other sources could cover additional work around a local rest home and parking areas; no final reallocation was decided at the meeting.

The board moved and seconded to approve the Arcosa bid for $167,386.05. The motion carried on a voice vote; all present signified approval.

Less-critical details: the presenter said scheduling typically occurs in April and the actual work has historically been done in summer months (often after the county fair), with this year's project likely in August. She also noted that supplier availability can constrain final timing and that locking the oil price in advance reduces exposure to market volatility.