 County highway engineer Bret Aukamp updated the committee on the
progress of current projects within the county.The new bridge on
2250th Street in Eminence Township is finished. Its completion
reopens a popular access road near Atlanta called Lazy Row.
Aukamp commented that he has never built a bridge over a dry
stream bed.
Also, the rock in the roadway is still loose due to the dry
weather. The rock will stay loose, and moisture will be worked into
the rock slowly over the rest of the year.
"The rock that was coming out of the quarry is bone-dry. We're
not able to move water because of water restrictions," said Aukamp.
"With permission of the township, we put it down dry, so it's not
very well compacted."
Signs have been posted to alert drivers to the loose rocks.
A part of County Highway 1 just south of Mount Pulaski has been
stabilized as of last week. Aukamp expects to finish the project
completely in the next couple of weeks, barring any issues that
arise. Aukamp also said that from what he has seen so far, the road
is already extremely solid, and there should be little trouble for
quite some time after they are finished.
Possible future projects
The highway department received a letter of credit last month
from the construction company working on the new Aldi building.
Plans are to build a cul-de-sac nearby as part of the construction.
The jurisdiction of the roadway will be transferred to the city of
Lincoln after construction is finished.
Two bridges have been closed in the past month. Both bridges are
in Orville Township and go over Sugar Creek. The township made this
decision of its own accord, and no plans for replacement or repair
have been brought forward. The bridges were closed due to concerns
over maintenance and liability.
Aukamp explained that if Orville wished to remove the bridges in
the future, "there would have to be some sort of release of
liability for the township." Any contractor would thereby take
responsibility. Right now, the bridges are closed with barricades
and a rock barrier.
Mount Pulaski may be getting a new bridge in the near future. The
Illinois Department of Transportation recommended that the bridge
southeast of Lake Fork be repaired, whereas Logan County was
originally going to replace the bridge entirely. Plans were prepared
and sent to the highway department. The township reviewed the plan
and approved it.
A second plan was requested for another bridge just a mile
upstream.
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 "In normal years this wouldn't be an option, but because it is so
dry this year, this type of repair can be done," said Aukamp.
The maintenance team contracts will expire this year on Nov. 30.
Contract negotiations will need to begin soon. Aukamp along with
Terry Carlton and Robert Farmer will begin this process in the fall.
Current maintenance, construction and engineering
Aukamp reported that current maintenance projects involve working
primarily in the southwest area of the county. The highway
department has been out blotting the roads in that area, but not as
much as Aukamp expected. Aukamp was not sure whether to attribute
that to different oils being used, low humidity or something else.
The department has also been working on spraying herbicides along
the guardrails in Logan County.
The semi-truck that the highway department uses to haul large
equipment is beginning to fall into a poor condition. It was not
approved for continued use in the last license test and may need to
be placed as surplus equipment later in the year. Aukamp explained
that the truck is very old and likely on its last legs.
Seal coating is progressing well in the county. Only a few
townships and roads remain in this task: Mount Pulaski, Chester, a
section of road near Chestnut and a few other small pieces of road
in the southeast section of the county.
"We're doing really well, as far as time on this goes," said
Aukamp.
On the financial end, bills have proven to be a little heavy this
month. Various machines used by the highway department have
experienced issues as of late, and so repairs were needed. There is
also the high cost of road oil.
Those present at the meeting were committee chairman Terry
Carlton, board chairman Robert Farmer and committeemen Gene Rohlfs,
Chuck Ruben, Kevin Bateman and Rick Aylesworth.
[By DEREK HURLEY] |
