Liberty County moves forward on road projects and equipment purchases

County staff gave project updates and obtained approvals for equipment purchases during the June 18 meeting.

Engineering staff reported St. John�s Road (Allenhurst) plans are nearing completion and the project has received LRA funds; plans for the Main Trail are nearly ready and the county plans to advertise the trail project for bid in July. On King Road, staff said drainage improvements will require easements and a CMPA permit; engineers noted the permit process can take many months.

Engineers discussed design choices such as curb-and-gutter vs. roadside ditches. Staff explained that older subdivisions built without curb and gutter are often more cost-effectively improved using roadside ditches rather than installing curb-and-gutter and extensive yard drains.

Public works requested and the Board approved a low bid to replace an aging front-end loader. "We got four bids back... Hills Machinery, the Hitachi dealer, was the cheapest — $180,000," the director of public works said. Commissioners also discussed CIP plans to replace aging tractors, agreed to prioritize a smaller tractor replacement immediately, and set longer-term review of larger tractor procurement.

Staff said many of these purchases will be funded from SPLOST/sales tax capital accounts and the county�s CIP. The engineering and public works updates also included schedule targets and follow-up tasks for easements and permit work.