Greenlee County authorizes bids for 2025 chip-seal materials

The Greenlee County Board of Supervisors voted to authorize staff to solicit bids for materials for the county'2025 chip-seal project, approving separate actions to purchase 3/8-inch fractured chips and to purchase oil emulsions.

Public Works Roads Manager David Manoush told the board the project will cover multiple loops and roads from the airport, including Carol Loop, Stevens Loop, Cosper Loop and Fairway. "We're gonna be, chip sealing from the airport. We'll hit all the loops," Manoush said.

Manoush explained the county planned to bid for 3/8-inch fractured chips and seek a separate bid for oil emulsions. He discussed the possibility of using 5/8-inch chips on higher-traffic segments but said the motion approved would proceed with bids for 3/8-inch chips only. "They like the 5/8 chips where there's areas that have high traffic, semis, heavy equipment," Manoush said, noting the 5/8 rock requires more oil and can be noisier at higher speeds.

Board members asked technical questions about layering and specifications; Manoush described recommended double-chip sequencing (larger rock on the bottom, 3/8-inch on top) and said oil application rates for a 5/8 option would range from about 0.42 to 0.48 gallons per square yard. A motion to approve bidding the 3/8-inch chips was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. A separate motion to authorize solicitation for oil emulsions for the 2025 chip-seal project was likewise made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

The board did not record individual roll-call votes in the transcript; motions passed on voice votes. Manoush said the project list provided to the board included tonnage and yardage figures for each listed road, and he identified Fairway as a candidate for future use of 5/8-inch chips because of rising traffic there.

The actions authorize staff to proceed to procurement; specific contract awards, vendor names, final tonnages, and total prices were not specified at the meeting.