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County engineer outlines 2025 road and bridge program, recommends delaying Ohio Street reconstruction this year
Summary
Saline County engineer Justin Mater presented a quarterly engineering report on Feb. 11 outlining chip-seal and pipe projects, reinforced-concrete box sites, Waterwell Road bridge work and a proposed Ohio Street elevation/stabilization project; commissioners signaled preference to defer the Ohio Street work while nearby KDOT projects continue.
Justin Mater, Saline County engineer, presented the department's quarterly update at the Feb. 11 commission meeting, summarizing ongoing and planned road and bridge work for 2025, materials purchases and budget considerations.
Key projects and status: - Waterwell Road bridge: Bridge piers and slab are complete; remaining items include bridge rails, grading, pipe installation and guardrail; contractor work expected to finish in the spring (engineer estimated a June completion window). - Reinforced concrete box (RCB) projects: Design and right-of-way acquisition are complete for six sites; utility relocations remain under negotiation with two conflicting utility lines. - Chip seal and scrub-seal program: Plans for approximately 44 miles of chip seal and 12.7 miles of scrub seal for 2025; bids to open April 22. - Pipe-lining contract (2024 award): Installation of PVC liners scheduled after expected May delivery; prework includes pipe extensions that may start immediately. - Hot-mix asphalt overlay and pothole work: Waterwell Road and Burma Road targeted sections listed; design work under way. - Ohio Street improvement (Minner Road to Waterwell Road): Staff outlined a two-mile elevation and stabilization project that would raise the road roughly 18 inches, staged so residents retain access. Mater recommended consideration of deferring the work this year because the state KDOT bridge/interchange projects nearby are producing detours and elevated traffic; commissioners expressed preference to delay the large Ohio Street reconstruction until next year to avoid closing or inconveniencing motorists during KDOT operations.
Budget and funding: Mater proposed a 2025 contractual-asphalt budget of approximately $3.46 million, drawing from the county's asphalt budget, federal fund-exchange money ($210,000) and up to $450,000 from the county's special highway-improvement or landfill-impact funds. Mater provided account balances: special road construction (1/2 mill) about $2.2 million, special bridge construction about $1.5 million, special highway improvement about $2.7 million and landfill impact account about $853,000.
Other notes: - Nextech fiber installation along Country Club and side streets will require careful permitting and the engineer added two pages of additional requirements to protect county infrastructure. - The county will conduct load-rating reviews for a planned 300-ton transformer move in May and issue permits accordingly. - County surveyor/engineer Wayne Scritchfield has accepted a position in Lyon County; staff are advertising for a licensed land surveyor (and ideally a dual-licensed surveyor/engineer) to fill the role.
Why it matters: The engineering work determines the county's capital road program, short-term closures and staged construction that directly affect residents and farm operations. Commissioners asked for more data on traffic counts and agreed to avoid adding major closures while KDOT projects are underway.
No formal vote was required on the engineering update; commissioners indicated a preference to defer the Ohio Street reconstruction this year.
