Bicknell to seek prices for crack‑seal and chip‑seal work; council notes $175,000 road fund

The Bicknell town council discussed road maintenance priorities on Aug. 28 and agreed to solicit contractor pricing for crack‑seal and chip‑seal work after members identified severely deteriorated streets.

Public‑works and council participants named multiple streets with surface cracking and shoulder erosion; several people urged the town to prioritize cracking sealing now to stop water infiltration and slow further deterioration. Council members also discussed shoulder repair and the use of larger fractured rock or road base in gullied areas.

Cost estimates discussed in the meeting included an approximate market figure for crack seal of about $3,200 per ton and a rule‑of‑thumb that a town block might consume roughly 400 pounds of material; council members used that estimate to sketch possible coverage scenarios and to weigh how far the town’s road fund could stretch. Council staff said the town’s dedicated road fund balance is about $175,000.

Council assigned a staff member to obtain bids and a per‑street estimate so the board can decide whether to do a partial town program (a few streets) or a more comprehensive townwide treatment. Members noted that chip‑seal overlays and slurry seals carry additional cost beyond crack sealing and that grants for roads are scarce at present.

Next steps: Staff were asked to ask a local contractor to inspect streets, provide a per‑street crack‑seal estimate and return a separate chip‑seal price so the council can evaluate options against available funding.

Ending: The council agreed to follow up on quotes and then prioritize streets for the upcoming budget and maintenance cycle.