Beaufort County transport committee gets project schedules but contractors warn material constraints could slow work

The Beaufort County Transportation Committee on Sept. 18 received detailed schedules for multiple resurfacing projects but was warned by contractors and staff that material and workforce limits could slow progress despite recent state funding.

Committee staff outlined near-term sequencing for several projects: subcontractor mixing for the Lands' End job was slated to begin on the 23rd, milling on the 27th and paving the following Saturday; Island Causeway work was expected to require two days of milling and two days of paving next week; and Holly Hall Road was forecast to need roughly 15 days of mixing, five days of milling and five days of paving. Staff also said pavement-marking scope had been revised to about 27 rows and that some APAC work would not start until spring because contractors are stretched thin.

Why it matters: the committee has new state and nonrecurring funds to spend, but members and staff warned that finding crews, materials and the necessary production capacity will be the main bottleneck to getting projects finished on schedule.

"There is a gross allotment of tons that are allowed to be made in the state," contractor Jason Farrell said, describing limits at quarries and sand sources that can restrict production. "If I had a crew in Charlotte or Greenville, I won't put a 95 tomorrow; I couldn't. The quarry is not giving us material that we need, so they're going to let us put this material together." Farrell urged continued communication between the county and major producers to mitigate supply constraints.

Staff reiterated efforts to reduce community impacts around active work: near-term notices are posted to the county website when contractors schedule lane closures and pilot cars are used to help traffic flow around active segments.

County staff also briefed the committee on program-level moves: AMT has an executed contract to evaluate roads with 500–2,000 average daily trips and to prepare a five-year plan so bid packages can be issued, with staff aiming to have some bids out by December. Staff said the new procurement software and updated procurement code have slowed processing in the short term but training is underway.

Committee members stressed coordination: adding medians or traffic-calming elements requires sequencing with paving, and several projects (including APAC work) were deferred to spring because contractors are committed elsewhere. Members discussed holding a February retreat with contractors to review products and processes and reduce uncertainty going into the busy construction season.

Next steps: staff will post near-term start notices to the county website, return with bid documents for the resurfacing packages, and continue coordination with producers and prime contractors to try to accelerate work without sacrificing quality.