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Cochise County hauls chips, readies stockpiles for chip‑seal season; some roads need major work
Summary
Public Works reported hauling aggregate for chip seal season, plans to use millings from a State Road 90 project, and said several roads need extensive work beyond chip sealing.
Cochise County Public Works said at the Feb. 20 work session that crews have begun hauling aggregate to road yards and preparing stockpiles for chip‑seal season, and that some roads will require far more than a chip seal.
Public Works Director Jason Fazio told supervisors the county is hauling chips now to prepare for chip‑seal operations later this year and is sourcing material from local vendors such as Maddox and Wilcox Rock and Sand. "What we're working on is right now ... we're hauling chips. And what that is is we're hauling chips to prepare for chip seal season," Fazio said. He added that the Maddox product meets testing specifications for higher‑speed roads.
Why it matters: Chip sealing is the county’s primary surface‑treatment method for many roads. Stockpiling material early helps secure supply and control trucking costs.
The county aims to chip roughly 70 miles per year as a general planning target, Fazio said. He also noted the county maintains about 700 miles of road. Fazio described procurement and logistics: county road yards and a cleared area at the Whetstone landfill will hold millings and chips; some millings from the State Road 90 project are expected to be delivered to county stockpiles in Whetstone and at transfer stations.
Some roads require heavier work: Kansas Settlement Road, Fazio said, is deteriorated and needs substantial reconstruction, not just chip seal. "We know that it needs asphalt. We know it needs some major construction to make it right," he said, and added that full asphalt reconstruction would exceed available county resources and is expected to fall into the next fiscal year’s work if funded. Fazio said the county plans to prep and chip seal the road in July, using next fiscal year labor funds.
Other items discussed included shoulder maintenance, mowing and spraying certification to reduce roadside growth, guardrail visibility, culvert and slope repairs on Mohsen (Mosen) Road and Monsoon Shoulder Repair, and coordination with railroads to finish two quiet zones in Dragoon and Bowie. Fazio said the county must pay the railroad for traffic‑control services to complete installations on railroad right‑of‑way.
Fazio also discussed constraints on in‑house asphalt work. The county performs hot‑mix patching for small sections but lacks equipment for full overlays; larger asphalt jobs require outside contractors and may be routed to the nearest plant or vendor to reduce trucking costs.
Ending: Supervisors encouraged coordination with engineering and procurement to secure chips and millings while considering long‑term costs for roads that need reconstruction beyond chip sealing.
