Rawlins County approves chip-seal work, reviews bridge funding and posts Road & Bridge job ads

The Rawlins County Board of Commissioners on April 15 approved a chip-seal project and discussed bridge funding candidates as the Road & Bridge crew advances several maintenance projects.

Chairman Alan A. Solko said the board accepted a motion by Commissioner Lincoln Pochop, seconded by Commissioner Mark Mosley, to chip seal the asphalt south of Beardsley and two miles through McDonald. The motion carried. Road Supervisor Mark Loop told commissioners crews are elevating Road 465, trucks are hauling to Road BB, the hill south of Achilles should be finished by the weekend, and blading is complete in other areas.

Loop identified two bridges as candidates for the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Bridge Assistance Program for 2027—one on Chardon Road and one south of property owned by Ginny Howard—and proposed Blakeman Bridge as the county’s candidate for the Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program (KLIP) in 2026. The board discussed pursuing those funding opportunities and next steps for applications.

The commissioners also reviewed job descriptions for an advertised Road Supervisor and Road Foreman positions and asked County Clerk Rachel Finley to place the job ads in the local newspaper.

The approval and planning measures follow ongoing maintenance needs described by Loop; the board did not record a roll-call vote tally in the minutes beyond reporting the motion “carried.”

The board scheduled related follow-up through the County Clerk’s Office and did not set specific contract or bid dates for the chip-seal work during the meeting.