Public works reports full staffing, bridge master plan, new equipment quotes and multiple road projects

Public works staff gave a wide-ranging update to the Buchanan Board of Commissioners on Sept. 17, saying the department is fully staffed and outlining equipment purchases, an upcoming bridge master plan and several maintenance and preservation projects.

Todd Whitaker, who identified himself at the meeting as representing public works, said the department has recently achieved full staffing after several years of vacancies, though he cautioned newer employees mean current production levels are not yet at previous experience-driven highs. On equipment, Whitaker said the county has quoted another Energreen machine that “has worked out so well and it’s so versatile,” with the quote just over $300,000; the purchase will be brought to the board for approval in the near term. He also described planned purchases of a tractor and lowboy and noted design issues to match those vehicles for hauling rock.

Whitaker said the county contracted David Evans and Associates to perform a bridge master plan to inventory county bridges, set priorities and recommend repairs, rehabilitation or replacements — including structures that do not receive annual NBI inspections. Engineer Steven Kale provided project-level updates: a paving window at the end of the month in the northwest quadrant for patch paving; a planned overlay package the county expects to advertise for bid in December; and an annual striping contract with contractor SPM that Whitaker said was about 63% complete.

Kale described a trial system proposed for the Riddle Road and Clow Road intersection, in-house installation of a 60-inch corrugated metal pipe replacement on Davidson Road that will require a road closure, and a catch basin replacement on Sawto Road. He said courthouse parking-lot paving RFQs have been issued, quotes are due Dec. 25, and work was stipulated to be completed by Oct. 15 (schedule/contract language provided by staff). Safe Routes to School work includes several sidewalk panels needing replacement to address drainage. Whitaker said the department completed about 30 miles of grading and ditching this year and is also pulling shoulders along paved roads.

On traffic and pavement data, Whitaker and Kale said the county will issue an RFP for road-data collection to gather crack mapping, rut depth and pavement quality metrics, and will put an RFP out for countywide ADT (average daily traffic) collection next year. The current Time Mark equipment is unsupported, they said, so the county is considering hiring a consultant for countywide counts while purchasing radar and portable counters for spot checks. Kale noted the planned equipment can classify vehicles in the FHWA 13-category scheme for trucks and light vehicles.

Vegetation management was described as a completed spring spray program (Rome Forestry) with a fall spray scheduled by Woodland Resources tentatively Sept. 29–Oct. 10 targeted to county right-of-way shoulders and selected species.

Board members asked for updates about bridges near Helmick Park; Whitaker said the project has been delayed by changes in an intergovernmental agreement with ODOT and that the county has partnered with Marion County to deliver design work. He said ODOT moved some funding between biennia and that the county declined to let ODOT perform some design work because the county would bear cost overruns; the schedule is several years behind. Commissioners also raised concerns about proposed detour routes for a Bethel Road project and opposition to using Covey Road as a detour; a commissioner said they had raised detour concerns with Regional Solutions and the governor’s office.

No formal action was taken on the projects during the update; staff said they will return with procurement items or contract agreements as required for board approval.