Jay County highway superintendent reports chip‑seal mileage, truck outfitting quotes and $1.3M Seventh Street Bridge repair estimate

Eric Butcher, Jay County highway superintendent, briefed commissioners on roadwork, equipment and bridge-repair estimates during the July 10 meeting.

Butcher presented two quotes to outfit a new dump-truck chassis: W.A. Jones for $92,794 and LINCO for $93,671. He noted W.A. Jones is about an hour away and LINCO about three hours away; the board will confirm quote validity and build times before deciding at a future meeting.

On maintenance, Butcher said crews have chip‑sealed 67 miles and have 35 miles remaining. He explained the county’s use of chip seal over paving is driven by budgetary constraints given the number of roads the county must maintain. Dust‑mat spraying began last week with final application laid the day of the meeting; the spray work experienced a delay caused by a supply issue with Great Lakes Chloride, and Butcher said he will explore alternatives and consider whether the county should stop coordinating dust‑mat applications directly.

Butcher also reported paperwork is signed for two culvert projects expected to be completed in the fall. He cited an initial repair estimate of about $1.3 million from engineering firm Beam, Longest and Neff for the Seventh Street Bridge and said the county hopes to secure a Community Crossings grant to cover roughly $1 million of that cost.

No formal motions were recorded on these items; the highway department will return with additional procurement details and project updates.