Greene County approves Old Stage Road rehabilitation contract after resident raises safety and mapping concerns

The Greene County Board of Commissioners voted June 12 to award the Old Stage Road rehabilitation contract to the low bidder for $1,513,970.80, after a resident told the board he is concerned the roadway is too narrow and that the engineering overlay used for bidding is outdated.

Devin Maloney, a resident of 3640 Old Stage Road, told commissioners during public comment that safety specialists who live on the road have warned about a blind curve and steep cut through a ridge where there is “no ditch” or room to leave the roadway. Maloney said he reviewed the project plans and measured the roadway, and that the bridge will be 24 feet wide under the current plans while the narrowest section of Old Stage Road he measured is 19.83 feet. He said that discrepancy, combined with growing vehicle widths, creates a safety risk: "That only leaves 12 inches to pass between vehicles on a 55 mile an hour unmarked country road," Maloney said, adding that the curve is on an uphill segment where drivers cannot leave the road.

Maloney also urged the county engineer to update the project overlay before construction, saying the bid documents appear to be based on a 2020 overlay with incorrect property-owner names, buildings that no longer exist and a temporary easement that is now underwater. "I respectfully request the engineer to provide an updated copy so that I could either express additional concerns or it might even save the county some money," he said.

County staff told the board the engineer received a single bid within the county’s award threshold and recommended awarding the project, identified by PID number 11700642, to the low bidder. The board moved and approved the engineer’s recommendation. The county presenter said the contract instrument is expected next week and that will be the final legislative step needed to proceed with the project.

The matters raised by Maloney — narrow roadway sections, blind curves, the absence of room to leave the roadway and potentially inaccurate overlay maps — were presented as public comment and did not alter the board’s vote to award the construction contract. County staff noted the contract award is the administration step that enables the county to execute the construction contract; separate permits, project staging and construction logistics will follow the contract execution.

The project award authorizes the county to proceed to contract execution with the successful bidder; the board’s action on June 12 requires the county engineer and contract documents to be completed before work begins. Maloney told the board he wants the record to show that residents raised safety concerns and asked for corrections to the bid documents before construction begins.