Franklin County mayor interviews highway superintendent on staffing, paving costs and winter response
May 09, 2024 | Franklin County, Tennessee
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Mayor Chris Ghes interviewed Franklin County Highway Superintendent Luke McCurry about the county's road maintenance operations, including staffing levels, mileage under the department's care and recent emergency work during a winter storm.
McCurry told the mayor the department employs 22 people and maintains just over 900 streets, which he estimated totals about 650 miles. "At this time, we have 22 employees, and we are responsible for a little over 900 streets, which seems that's about 650 miles," McCurry said.
On paving costs, McCurry estimated resurfacing a mile of road at roughly $120,000 when performed in-house, and said hiring contractors can raise that to about $130,000. "Looking at a mile, if you lay it to each, I think it's approximately a $120,000. And the time you guys drop, it's probably going to be about $130," he said.
McCurry described how the department prioritizes resurfacing: staff use Average Daily Traffic (ADT) counts and the road's condition to place streets on a resurfacing schedule. When residents call about a road, McCurry said staff check the road's place on that schedule and inform callers when resurfacing is planned.
The county operates its own rock quarry, McCurry said, with three full-time employees who run it year-round and crush material for projects such as upcoming chip-seal work. He described the department's regular work schedule as four 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday, roughly 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and provided a public office number for feedback: (931) 967-2755.
The mayor praised McCurry and highway crews for their response to a recent ice and snow event, saying crews worked around the clock to clear roads and restore passability for residents. "They really did an amazing job here in the ice and the snowstorm we had back earlier this year," Ghes said.
McCurry also made a brief remark about compensation during an on-call shift, saying, "That's a $24.07 job," a comment that was not further explained in the transcript.
The segment ended with Ghes urging residents to be mindful of the weather over the weekend and noting county offices would reopen Monday.
McCurry told the mayor the department employs 22 people and maintains just over 900 streets, which he estimated totals about 650 miles. "At this time, we have 22 employees, and we are responsible for a little over 900 streets, which seems that's about 650 miles," McCurry said.
On paving costs, McCurry estimated resurfacing a mile of road at roughly $120,000 when performed in-house, and said hiring contractors can raise that to about $130,000. "Looking at a mile, if you lay it to each, I think it's approximately a $120,000. And the time you guys drop, it's probably going to be about $130," he said.
McCurry described how the department prioritizes resurfacing: staff use Average Daily Traffic (ADT) counts and the road's condition to place streets on a resurfacing schedule. When residents call about a road, McCurry said staff check the road's place on that schedule and inform callers when resurfacing is planned.
The county operates its own rock quarry, McCurry said, with three full-time employees who run it year-round and crush material for projects such as upcoming chip-seal work. He described the department's regular work schedule as four 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday, roughly 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and provided a public office number for feedback: (931) 967-2755.
The mayor praised McCurry and highway crews for their response to a recent ice and snow event, saying crews worked around the clock to clear roads and restore passability for residents. "They really did an amazing job here in the ice and the snowstorm we had back earlier this year," Ghes said.
McCurry also made a brief remark about compensation during an on-call shift, saying, "That's a $24.07 job," a comment that was not further explained in the transcript.
The segment ended with Ghes urging residents to be mindful of the weather over the weekend and noting county offices would reopen Monday.
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