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Howard County highway superintendent outlines equipment plan, bridge costs and move to thermoplastic markings
Summary
Highway Superintendent Amber Toll told the council the department broke ground on a salt barn, expects to receive three tandem chassis ordered in 2021, plans to use thermoplastic center‑line markings to extend striping life, and warned that federal Bridge 56 costs may push the county’s match above 20%.
Amber Toll, Howard County highway superintendent, detailed the department’s capital and operating plans for the coming year and described several budget pressures the council should expect.
Toll said the county has broken ground on a salt barn expected to be completed by November and that brine equipment will be installed for winter operations. She reported three chassis ordered in 2021 have arrived and will be fitted with beds; two chassis should arrive within 30 days and the third shortly thereafter. Toll identified a strategy to replace several aging graders by using tandem dump trucks equipped with belly blades, a configuration she said can perform plowing and heavy ice removal more efficiently than large graders.
Toll described a recent repair to Bridge 45 on Dixon Road that replaced deteriorated wearing surface and encased exposed rebar; she said the job extended the bridge’s expected service life by roughly 20 years and was completed under budget by contractor E&B Concrete. On Bridge 56 (County Road 300 East, just south of Sycamore), Toll said the county expects to front construction funds in 2025 and warned that inflation and post‑COVID cost increases mean the county’s 20% share of the federal project could rise to an estimated 35% of final construction costs if bids come in higher than earlier estimates.
The highway department plans to shift from painted center lines to thermoplastic road markings on higher‑traffic roads and near schools. Toll said paint cost roughly $0.30 per linear foot and thermoplastic roughly $0.90 per linear foot but that thermoplastic can last five to seven years (and provides reflective performance at night), making it cost‑effective on selected corridors.
On fleet management, Toll presented a truck replacement schedule and inventory noting the department operates roughly 19–21 dump trucks and four graders, many of which are more than 20 years old. She said two trucks are funded this year through ARPA to provide chassis and beds and that the department aims to add additional tandems and a skid steer in future budgets while phasing out older equipment. Toll cautioned that newer emissions standards (coming in 2025) and potential price increases for equipment warrant cautious procurement planning.
Toll also described in‑house training and CDL‑funding programs the department offers to broaden its driver pool, and she recommended modest staffing and salary adjustments to retain skilled mechanics and crew members. She flagged a shared heavy forklift used across county departments as both heavily used and near end of life and asked the council to consider a replacement strategy.
What’s next: Toll said Bridge 56 will go out to bid in January 2025; the county will need to cut the required check for its share after bids are received. The highway department will continue to prioritize thermoplastic for higher‑traffic corridors and finalize procurement timelines for trucks and brine equipment.
Key quotes from the presentation: "We did finally break ground on our salt barn…That should be done by November." — Amber Toll, Howard County highway superintendent. "Their 80% is locked in…so the county has to fund that gap…we're probably gonna end up at 35% funding of that bridge." — Amber Toll on Bridge 56.
