Chase County delays Middle Creek chip‑seal amid oil‑price spike; pauses heavy equipment rental

Chase County officials decided May 29 to pause a planned reclamation and chip‑seal operation on Middle Creek Road after staff warned the current market price for road oil has driven project costs far above earlier estimates.

Road & Bridge staff told commissioners the full stabilization and rechipseal of Middle Creek would cost roughly $328,000 (about 5.25 miles at roughly $56,579 per mile) and that the component most affected by market volatility is asphalt/road oil. "Last year I think we gave $2.70 a gallon for chip seal oil. This year the most recent price I had was $3.80 a gallon," the road supervisor said, adding the oil increase is the primary driver of the cost jump.

Faced with those higher input costs, staff offered alternatives: delay Middle Creek until prices moderate; grind and stabilize the Lake Road instead; or move to emulsified oils that are competitively priced but pose logistical challenges for storage and application. Staff also outlined equipment rental exposure (the reclaimer quoted at about $10,000 per week) and said cancelling the rental risks losing availability in a busy season.

Commissioners instructed staff to pause the reclaimer delivery scheduled for Monday, attempt to rebook when practical, and to bring funding‑carryover and timing options back for the June meeting. "If we can't be moving by September 1, then we just need to postpone until next June," one commissioner said during discussion. Staff said they will review budget carryover options with the clerk and re‑estimate next year's authority to allow combined projects.

What happens next: staff will cancel the immediate equipment delivery, check rebooking availability, discuss funding carryover with the clerk, and return to the commission on June 9 (and hold a public outreach session July 3 in Saffordville).