Page County adopts 2027 secondary roads five-year program after public hearing

The Page County board unanimously adopted the county's proposed 2027 Secondary Roads five-year program following a public hearing and presentation by Page County Engineer JD King.

King told the board the plan lists multiple bridge replacements and resurfacing projects the county hopes to start as funding and rights-of-way are secured. He highlighted a grant-funded replacement of the Redwood Avenue bridge over Neely Branch and warned that an overhead 345-kilovolt electric line near the south abutment poses a design challenge. "This is a grant funded bridge to the tune of million3 Redwood Avenue over the Neely branch," King said during his presentation, adding that the abutments show corrosion and will require replacement.

Why it matters: the county has a concentrated cohort of aging bridges built between about 1950 and 1965, King said, and the county cannot replace them all at once. "In Page County between 1950 and 1965, Page County built 45 bridges," King said. "In other words, each year they built three ... We can't build three bridges every year. So there's a big glut of bridges this age." The adopted plan prioritizes individual structures and routes that improve legal-load access and coordinate with neighboring counties where appropriate.

The presentation included specific project types: full bridge replacements, targeted culvert replacements (noting one stream outlet could be handled with a 12x12 culvert rather than a 150-foot bridge), and a planned stabilization/stabilization project (J53) scheduled to start in July. King also described cooperation with Montgomery County to include a segment of Cobra Road in the county's plans and noted that some projects depend on right-of-way acquisition.

Votes and procedure: the board opened the public hearing at about 4:15 p.m., closed it at about 4:25 p.m., and then took a motion to adopt the program. After a motion and second, members voted in favor and the program was adopted; the board noted the program is a planning document and will be adjusted through amendments as needed.

Votes at a glance: - Motion to open public hearing on the 2027 Secondary Roads five-year program: passed (voice vote). - Motion to close the public hearing: passed (voice vote). - Motion to adopt the Secondary Roads five-year program: passed (voice vote).

What comes next: the engineer said the projects will move forward into right-of-way acquisition and design, and the county expects to let some projects later this fall. The board also said it will consider amendments and revisions to the plan as circumstances or funding change.

(Attribution: JD King, Page County Engineer.)