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Seward County road crews to cut blade operations to two days weekly as diesel costs surge
Summary
Road & Bridge staff told commissioners that diesel has jumped to about $3.69 per gallon and blade operators’ fuel use could push blades-only diesel costs into the low hundreds of thousands; staff proposed and the board agreed to run blades two days per week until moisture returns to limit budget overruns.
Road & Bridge staff told the Seward County Commission that a jump in fuel prices has made the agency’s blading program unsustainable at prior levels and recommended cutting blade operations to two days a week.
The supervisor said diesel is currently about $3.69 per gallon and gasoline $3.21, that each blade operator burns roughly 40 gallons per day and that the county’s seven blades combined burn about 280 gallons a day. At those rates, staff estimated blades-only diesel costs would reach about $215,000 on a four-day-per-week schedule and could approach $300,000 if usage matches last year’s levels. "To stay in our fuel budget, we're gonna have to stay at 2 days a week," the supervisor said.
Commissioners pressed staff on how crews would be used on non-blading days. The supervisor said operators would maintain routes (trash pickup, culvert cleaning and mowing) and that the department is seeking a full-time sexton at the cemetery; moving one operator to that role would reduce available blading capacity by one. Commissioners noted that high-traffic routes and school routes should still be prioritized in the event of rain.
The supervisor also flagged steep wear on cutting edges resulting from dry, windy conditions: blade sets that formerly lasted months are now being replaced every two to three weeks at about $300 per set; the fleet uses seven sets. Separately, crews reported recent pothole-patching has been hampered by wind and low temperatures.
After discussion, commissioners signaled agreement with staff’s proposal to run blades two days weekly until moisture returns, with the understanding crews would respond to storms and address priority routes as needed. The board asked staff to prioritize culvert replacements and ditching work within the narrowed budget.
The commission did not take a formal recorded vote in the session; staff will proceed under the direction given and return to the board if conditions or budget projections change.
