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Highway department reports US 24 closures, Galveston bridge bearing problem and plans for chip seal operations
Summary
Highway Superintendent Jeff Smith reported multiple resurfacing and chip-seal projects, detours related to bridge rehab, and a structural bearing problem on the Galveston bridge requiring engineering fixes and likely delaying completion until mid–late July; commissioners were told liquidated damages are possible.
Jeff Smith, highway department superintendent, provided a comprehensive update: several county resurfacing projects are underway (including County Road 325 East and parts of 175 West), and community crossings resurfacing on 900 North is expected to finish by next week. Chip seal operations are expected to begin within two weeks and US 24 West is closed for chip seal operations through Thursday.
On the Galveston bridge rehab, Smith said a problem with bearings under poured south-span beams was discovered after work had started and that engineering and a retrofit will be required. "The contractor built it per plan, but the design was not correct," Smith said, explaining that crews may have to slightly jack up the poured deck to insert shims to fix the bearings. He said that, depending on how the repair goes, the best estimate for completion is mid to late July. Smith also said the state (NDOT) oversees the project and that liquidated damages may be assessed to the contractor.
Smith described detour routing and advised drivers to expect congestion; he also previewed July 4 closures for fireworks and a Walton 5K on June 27. He presented the highway annual operations report for calendar 2025 showing total receipts of about $7.3 million and disbursements of about $7.2 million across main highway funds, and explained that a previous split error shifted roughly $200,000 between restricted and regular MVH funds in 2024 and was corrected in 2025.
