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Elbert County approves $708,000 rebuild of County Road 125 (South 9 Mile) after culvert inspections raise costs
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved an unbudgeted increase to rebuild a section of County Road 125 after public works inspections found rusted culverts and other unanticipated work. The total cost is now estimated at $708,000, to be paid from two Road & Bridge funds.
Elbert County commissioners approved an unbudgeted rebuild of County Road 125 (South 9 Mile) during their May 14 meeting after public works staff reported the project’s cost rose to $708,000.
Monty Hanks, Elbert County public works director, told commissioners the project was originally estimated at about $300,000 and was within county manager approval. After crews began work and inspected culverts beneath the roadway they found some had rusted bottoms and required replacement, increasing the scope and cost.
Hanks said some materials were available from the county gravel pit, which reduced certain hauling costs and made it feasible to continue the rebuild this year. He described County Road 125 as “the main thoroughfare between 86 and Simla,” carrying as many as 500 vehicle trips per day, including buses and trucks, and connecting Simla and Kiowa.
The county’s plan is to rebuild the road structurally (ditching and shoulder slopes) so it could be topped with asphalt later with minimal additional earthwork. Hanks estimated an asphalt top would cost roughly $1.2 million per mile; paving the full route could be on the order of $8 million to $9 million depending on final lift thickness and geotechnical requirements.
Funding for the $708,000 comes from two Road and Bridge funds: Fund 20 will cover equipment, staff labor and some structural materials; Fund 25, the capital fund, will cover large culvert replacements and related capital work. Hanks said approximately $379,000 of the total will come from Fund 25.
Commissioners voted to approve the unbudgeted rebuild request and to move forward with the project this year; the motion passed with the board’s affirmative votes.
The project manager said crews have completed the first mile out of Simla to County Road 86 and that is a natural stopping point if the board had chosen to pause work. Hanks asked the board to act promptly because continuing without the additional appropriation would require pausing and restarting the work next year.
The board did not identify any additional legal or permitting requirements in the meeting discussion. No changes to scope or funding sources were described beyond the split between the two Road and Bridge funds.
