Commissioners set plan for P Road reconstruction; crews told to ‘do it right’

Smith County commissioners on March 24 agreed on a staged plan to rebuild sections of P Road, directing crews to begin work at 50 Road and proceed south to 120 Road and to clear utility and driveway obstructions before surfacing.

Assistant Road Supervisor Travis Story told the board that tree trimming should finish within days but that an AT&T line runs through the middle of 100 Road and must be addressed first; an AT&T representative is scheduled to inspect that line on March 26. Story also warned that some field driveways sit above the road surface and will need relocation or removal before baseone is applied. Commissioners asked that tubes be cleaned prior to work so there is a place for material to drain.

JR Rice, assistant blade foreman, said rotating blade operators to keep district coverage will be challenging; Commissioner Jim Gwennap emphasized care over speed, saying, "don't get in a hurry, and do it right the first time. If it takes an extra day, it takes an extra day." The board was told only limited traffic counts exist for the corridor (counts were done on Y Road and by the feed lot), and that portions of road under active repair will be closed during working hours and left in the best possible condition at day’s end.