County engineer outlines training, erosion control and a major Thrush culvert project

County Engineer Brandon briefed the Board of Supervisors on June 15 about a series of public-works items, including staff training, erosion control, equipment purchases and an in-house culvert replacement meant to reduce project costs.

Brandon said 12 county staff will attend excavation and rigging safety training in Franklin County; the county’s share of the program cost is $700 after assistance from a partner program. He said if the training proves valuable the county may invite the trainer back for additional staff.

To address repeated flooding-related erosion under some bridges, the county rented a specialty tool to place rip-rap in hard-to-reach areas; crews will deploy the tool across the county for about a month. DuraPatch crews are completing patching work, and the county plans to use a refurbished crack-seal machine to extend pavement life.

On June 22 the county plans to replace a wooden box culvert with steel tubes at Thrush just south of the bypass in preparation for paving. Brandon said performing the culvert replacement in-house, under the county’s bid threshold, will likely save “a couple hundred thousand” dollars versus hiring a contractor. The work may close the road for three days to a week depending on weather; the county will stage equipment and set a detour.

Brandon raised concerns about an unofficial detour that routes significant traffic, including trucks, onto gravel roads after a weight-restricted bridge closure. He said the gravel on the detour is turning to dust and that repeated use is damaging roads; he estimated a large detour’s rock cost could be about $100,000 and said the county has no guarantee of reimbursement from other entities. Supervisors discussed options, including adding rock, but emphasized limits to county reimbursement for such costs.

Brandon also said he will bring plans and specifications for the Rockwell building to the board the following week, and proposed opening bids the Thursday before the board meeting to allow staff to verify bids and circulate a bid tab for acceptance at the next meeting.

The board asked the engineer to inspect a citizen request for one load of rock to fix a water issue at a former barn/campsite; the engineer said material-only cost is about $1,175 plus trucking and will provide a recommendation.