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Henry County reports road repairs, seeks state paving funds; Newcutt bridge condition draws FEMA attention
Summary
County roads staff reported ongoing patching, drainage and shoulder work, listed roads submitted for state discretionary paving funds, and described uncertainty over FEMA’s approach and cost estimates for replacing the Newcutt Road bridge.
At a Henry County Fiscal Court meeting, county roads staff reported recent patching and drainage work on several rural roads and described bids and federal involvement in a failing bridge on Newcutt Road.
The county’s roads report said crews finished blacktop patching on Clear Creek, placed 11 loads of blacktop on Carmine/Carmel Creek Road, installed two driveway pipes on Montford Lane and Newcutt Road, and completed bushwhacking on multiple lanes including Herndon and Sewell. Zach, a county roads staff member, reported the crew used about 51 tons of blacktop on the Clear Creek repair and is currently working on Carmine/Carmel Creek Road.
County members discussed efforts to address slips on Newcutt Road using dense-grade material and rolling to compact rock, then moved to the condition of a bridge at Newcutt. County members said they received an initial contractor quote for replacing the bridge that was reported as roughly $303,000. County officials said FEMA later suggested a much lower figure — figures mentioned in the meeting ranged from about $40,000–$90,000 — and county members expressed concern that contractors would not accept the lower FEMA estimate without a higher contract amount.
"I told them, I said, I'd like for you to send the contractor that's gonna do that job because there's nobody that's gonna touch that for that kind of money," a county member said about FEMA's lower estimate.
County members also discussed equipment needs: an older bushwhacker has extensive welding repairs and the court said they are exploring acquiring a used unit from a private owner if it fits county equipment.
Separately, county staff submitted a list of roads for state discretionary paving funds. The items included Cherry Lane ($34,000), Cedar Run Road ($40,000), Stuckers Lane ($17,000), Bart Smith Road ($24,000), Park Road ($24,000), Dixie Highway ($27,000), Garrett Lane ($11,000) and Sand Springs ($28,000). Officials said they supplied photo documentation at required intervals for the application process.
Why it matters: the reported repairs affect county travel, agricultural access and the condition of low-volume rural roads; the Newcutt bridge discussion highlights uncertainty when FEMA estimates differ from local contractor quotes.
County members said they will continue to coordinate with FEMA and contractors and pursue state discretionary paving funds to cover additional surface paving in coming months.
