Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Covington County outlines transportation plan, solicits bids for seed, fertilizer and liquid asphalt; bridge costs remain uncertain
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a draft transportation plan that lists roads by district for rebuild projects, approved solicitations for seed/fertilizer and liquid asphalt, discussed new road-grading software and compared bridge cost data from neighboring counties.
Covington County commissioners reviewed a transportation plan listing candidate roads for the coming fiscal year, approved solicitations for materials used in road maintenance, and discussed the early-stage analysis of bridge replacement costs.
Staff said the county's rebuild program for the coming year is roughly $1 million, with total anticipated funds about $1.4 million; that funding profile was described as translating to roughly $350,000 per commission district for rebuild and new-build road projects. Staff said most items on the plan are new-build projects and that weather and hurricane season could affect scheduling.
The commission approved two solicitations from the engineering department: an annual seed and fertilizer bid and a solicitation for liquid asphalt (CRS-2 and prime) to capture current per-gallon pricing. The transcript records motions to solicit those bids and recorded aye votes. Staff noted that supplier responses are typically few and that asphalt pricing is indexed for some projects but not for the county's per-gallon purchases.
On bridges, staff reported the county is still assembling bid and cost-comparison data from other counties. Examples cited included a recent 40-foot-span bridge in Geneva County that staff said cost about $460,000–$480,000 (reported as roughly $560 per square foot in that example). Staff said the county is seeking comparable, "apple-to-apple" data and that available bid tabs vary widely by how work items are allocated. Staff also stated the county has two employees assigned to bridge building work and about two (sometimes three) on the maintenance crew.
Engineering staff told commissioners they are exploring a road-grading tool that uses vehicle-based data and AI to provide consistent, objective pavement grades; staff said the tool would help prioritize maintenance across the county's network.
No final vote on the transportation plan was held; staff said the plan is expected to be presented for approval at a later meeting (end of the month, per staff remarks).
