Council hears countywide pavement study; average PCI reported at 81

McCormick County Council on Sept. 16 heard a presentation from consultant Allison Bush explaining the results of a countywide pavement-condition evaluation that measured cracks, potholes and ride roughness on every county road.

Bush told the council the vendor used cameras and laser sensors to record distress, length and severity, and to produce a roughness index and 360-degree imagery for each road. She said the study applied a national standard, ASTM D6433, to score each segment and then produced a GIS map the county can use to visualize condition and assemble resurfacing packages.

The study found the county’s average pavement condition index is 81, Bush said, placing McCormick County in what the consultant described as the second-highest “satisfactory” category. “Overall, the county is in really good shape,” Bush said during the presentation.

Why it matters: the data is intended to replace subjective lists compiled by different staff and residents and to let the county group nearby roads into single contracts. Bush and council members said grouping lower- and higher-ranked roads within a geographic area typically reduces mobilization costs and yields more competitive bids.

Supporting details: Bush described preservation options that can extend pavement life at lower cost than full overlays — crack sealing, chip seals and microsurfacing, or chemical “rejuvenators” that restore asphalt binding molecules. She cautioned those treatments generally extend life by about three to five years and do not provide the structural depth of an overlay or full-depth repair.

Bush also noted the vendor provided a separate drainage inventory — GPS-located culverts and ditches with pipe size and condition — that the county can overlay with the pavement map so drainage repairs can be scheduled with pavement work.

Council discussion and next steps: council members and staff emphasized non‑technical factors that the mechanical evaluation does not capture, including traffic volumes, expected construction that could accelerate deterioration, and economic-development priorities. One councilmember urged that the objective data be combined with stakeholder input in a focus group the council plans to convene. The council chair said the county will release the GIS map and the spreadsheet data to the public and that the County Transportation Committee will consider project packages in October with allocations expected in November.

Quotes in context: Allison Bush, the presenting consultant, said the study provides both images and numeric PCI scores to reduce subjective judgments about which roads are worst. Council members thanked Public Works staff and the vendor for producing the maps and noted drainage data will help avoid cutting newly laid pavement.

The county did not adopt any ordinance or funding allocation at the Sept. 16 meeting. Council members said the study will inform upcoming resurfacing packages and County Transportation Committee funding requests.