Scott County to cut 10 road projects

Norman Brant, Scott County's highway administrator, is in the process of cutting 10 roads from the list of 2008 projects. The county's paving program will end a month early, he said.

Brant blames oil prices.

"It's affected everything. Asphalt has jumped $12, $14 a ton," he said. One contractor was unable to get sufficient asphalt oil, needed to coat the road before paving begins, he said.

Prices have affected many government paving projects, from Scott City to the Missouri Department of Transportation, in part because budgets were depleted earlier this year by repairs and overtime because of ice storms and flooding.

For three years now, Scott County has done its own asphalting, using a crew of 10 full-time workers and two part-time temporary workers. This year, Brant hired only one part-timer.

He ranks roads based on condition, but given the choice among equally bad roads, the one with the most houses becomes top priority. Dead-end roads, which generally get less traffic, rank lower than a throughway, he said.

Brant, also a Scott City councilman, said he's seen a similar rise in quotes for the city's projects.

"One bid was $80 a ton, $20 higher than last year," he said. "If we just did patchwork -- an intersection here and intersection there -- they wanted $150 a ton."

On Monday, the Scott City Council awarded a $40,000 road maintenance contract to ASA Asphalt Inc. of Advance, Mo. Last year's contract was $80,000. The difference, according to Jack Rasnic, Scott City's public works director, is because of an aggressive paving plan over the last several years leaving less to be done this year.

Mark Shelton, Southeast District engineer for MoDOT, said major projects, such as the current widening of Highway 34/72, will be completed despite cost increases.

"We have a five-year statewide improvement program. Once we put a project in that, we consider that a commitment," he said. The department "went a little over budget" in the fiscal year that ended June 30 because of the cost of materials.

Kent Peetz, Jackson's engineer, has begun looking at where his city's paving program can be reduced.

"Last year it cost $70 a ton for asphalt on the road. This year, pricing is running, oh, anywhere from $80 to $100 a ton. It's gone up quite a bit," he said.

In Cape Girardeau, where multiple large-scale projects are underway, contractual agreements have helped contain costs, according to city manager Doug Leslie.

Crews are renovating Morgan Oak Street, beginning work on the Fountain Street extension, widening Independence Street west of Pacific Street and creating the LaSalle Avenue that will connect to Interstate 55 at the new interchange. Leslie said the cost of Independence Street and LaSalle Avenue work totals close to $8 million. Contractors are responsible for estimating "whatever the anticipated price increase is."

Prices for construction steel and asphalt-based materials are up, partly from transportation costs, Leslie said. Street maintenance, he said, is based on a fixed budget, meaning the work stops when the money is gone.

Because people are making fewer trips and buying less gas, the city's sales tax revenue so far this year has been reduced by nearly $90,000, Leslie said. The 2008-2009 budget anticipates a $250,000 increase in fuel costs for city vehicles.

City officials are monitoring costs closely and will adjust the budget as the year progresses, Leslie said, but "we're not eliminating whole projects at this time."

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127

Does this affect you?

Have a comment?

Log on to semissourian.com/today