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Roads budget spotlights bridges, sinkholes and $888K equipment request
Summary
County engineers and road officials asked supervisors for larger bridge funds to address higher repair costs, a sinkhole budget of $800,000 and about $888,000 in new equipment; discussion included timing, bond funds and litigation affecting project delivery.
County Engineering presented requests for FY27 focused on bridge repairs, sinkhole remediation, striping and contracting costs.
Engineer Tim Bridal told the board that bridge work is getting more expensive as the county moves to repair larger structures. "We're getting into the the bridges now that are the big bridal... Heindel Road, for instance, is a 19 span bridal, and that's gonna be a $2,000,000 bridge to fix," Bridal said. He listed a bridge fund request and said past requests of $800,000 were insufficient for current needs.
Bridal also summarized pavement‑related line items: sinkhole repair ($800,000) and striping ($500,000). Road superintendent Cornelius described equipment needs and aging fleet concerns, listing boom trucks, bush hogs and backhoes among the requests and giving a cumulative equipment figure of about $888,000. Cornelius said the county uses trustees for some work but needs permanent hires and reliable equipment to maintain parks and right‑of‑way clearing.
Board members pressed on schedule and procurement options; Bridal said term bids for asphalt would be issued soon and that litigation has held up some bond‑funded paving. The board accepted the presentations for further review and asked staff to provide follow‑up schedules and a list of bond‑funded projects affected by the lawsuit.
What comes next: supervisors asked staff to provide more precise lists and timing for prioritized bridge repairs and to return with procurement timelines for asphalt contracts.
