Road & Bridge outlines 2025 work plan: asphalt projects, chip-seal miles, bridges and culvert priorities

Road & Bridge Superintendent Brian Durst presented the department's 2025 maintenance and construction plan to the Coffey County Commission, detailing asphalt resurfacing, chip-seal work, striping, gravel replacements, bridge and culvert projects and intersection-visibility work.

Key projects and budget notes - Asphalt projects: the department proposed 12.5 miles of hot-mix asphalt, including Angus Road (from K-58 to 14th) and Fauna Road (16th to Jacobs Creek), with an estimated cost of $2,600,000. The county's asphalt budget for 2025 is $1,500,000; special-highway reserves were discussed as a supplemental funding source. - Turn-lane project (Highway 705): cost-share project with county estimated at $750,000 (KJDA paying approx. $1,000,000 for the other portion); projected contractor start around June 1. - Chip seal: proposed roughly 49 miles of chip-and-seal work with an estimated cost of $1,300,000. - Striping and shoulders: about 62 miles of striping (yellow and white) and an estimated 74 lane miles of shoulder spraying; striping estimated at $140,000 and shoulder spraying about $40,000 (noxious-weed staff performs shoulder spraying for the county). - Gravel replacement and ditching: the plan identifies multiple full gravel-replacement miles and numerous minor ditching projects; Durst said the department plans to be more aggressive on gravel replacement in 2025. - Culverts and bridges: inventory noted about 1,200 miles of roads, 961 miles of gravel, 230 miles of asphalt, 236 bridges (defined as spans over 20 feet), and 3,500+ culverts; the plan lists bridge maintenance, scour repairs and bank stabilization projects that could require permitting and engineering.

Operational and scheduling points - Durst called out two priority rebuilds (Wayside 17-18 and 207th/Angus to Blackbird) and identified several major maintenance miles and intersection-visibility projects that remain on the prioritization list. - The county discussed the 58 Bridge (east of Leroy) project schedule; Durst said the state let date could be fall with construction in 2026, and the county is preparing detour routing to handle closures and local concerns about dust and traffic on alternative routes. - Durst reviewed historical asphalt costs and noted that asphalt prices have roughly doubled in the last decade, reducing the number of asphalt miles the county can afford without additional funds.

Why it matters: The Road & Bridge plan outlines the county's near-term work that affects daily travel, farm and business traffic, and budget choices for pavement preservation versus major rebuilds. The discussion highlighted funding trade-offs and practical detour and dust-control considerations for major closures.

Questions and next steps: Commissioners asked about detour routes and dust control plans for the 58-Bridge closure, about the timing of concrete orders for culverts and about priorities for gravel replacement. Durst said he would continue coordination with engineering staff for permitting and with the county on scheduling and funding.