The Marshall County Council members met in a special, emergency session Monday morning to grasp the numbers associated with repairing the county’s roads, bridges and culverts after the flood event.
Highway Supervisor Jason Peters presented a revised 2018 road program list. A lot of proposed paving projects and chip and seal projects were amended to fit time and cost. Included in the revised program is a list of roads damaged due to detoured traffic from the closure on State Road 6. Kenilworth from 3rd Road to State Road 6, 5A, Maple, and Sycamore from State Road 17 to 9C Road were all cited as needing major road repair. That estimate alone is nearly $1.6 million. Peters hopes to submit paperwork for possible reimbursement from the state for those repairs.
Peters gave an estimate of $563,000 in needed bridge repairs. He noted that Bridge #87 and Bridge #88 east of Olive Trail also have damage and those repair estimates will be factored into the total. The culvert replacement number came in at just over $234,000. The council members and the three commissioners in the audience agreed that bridge and culvert replacements should take priority for public safety.
Peters hopes that these numbers will come down.
“I think with us working with contractors to help haul some of the materials that we have in-house opposed to them buying it directly from the pit, I believe it will come down some. That is based on engineering estimates, too,” said Peters.
With the revised road program, bridge and culvert work, as well as repairs to roads due to the flood, the estimated cost of repairs will be around $4 million. There is money in the county highway’s budget for the road program this year. The council will discuss a resolution that pertains to additional funding of about $1.5 million from the Rainy Day Fund, but that action won’t take place until the council’s next regular meeting on April 9. The proposed action will be advertised.
Emergency Management Agency Director Clyde Avery mentioned that FEMA crews were in the county last week to conduct individual assessments. The Public Infrastructure Damage Assessment crew will be in Marshall County this week to review issues and needs. If approved for FEMA reimbursement, it will likely be a 75/25 scenario.
