Road and Bridge Subcommittee discuss updates
By Jim Allen
The Road and Bridge Subcommittee met on January 13, 2021 at 9:00 with Don Munson, Dick Hein and Gary Luth present. Jim Crane, County Engineer and guests were also present.
Work is ongoing for Cronus Chemicals but there is nothing new to report. Chastain and Associates have submitted plans that are 60 percent complete for the road work to be done in the Harvest Ridge Wind Farm. Currently the plans are over 325 pages. The final inspections for culvert and bridges is complete and work will begin after Chastain and Associates have completed plans for the road work and weather is acceptable to begin reconstruction. As specified in the RUA (Road Use Agreement) the roads will be built 16 feet wide. Before the Wind Farm Complex was built, the roads were anywhere from 12 to 22 feet wide. The right of way for township roads is 40 feet so a 16 foot road will allow for proper drainage to ditches. Jim Crane gave a detailed explanation of the rebuilding of the roads.
The subcommittee recommended to the full board the approval of $228,000 in matching funds for a bridge over the Kaskaskia River on County Highway 6 at 1450 North in Garrett Township. The project will be out for bids in March with the work to be started by June. It will be an 80 working day contract. This allows for inclement weather when work cannot be performed. the total cost for the project is estimated to be $1,410,000 with the county responsible for $228,000.
Mr. Crane presented a General Maintenance Appropriation of MFT (Motor fuel Tax) of $349,900.00. The committee will recommend this to the full board at the next regular County Board meeting. Interview with consultants in the bridge project will be scheduled in February.
On a personal note, Hats Off to Jim Crane for his work in completing the necessary paperwork
(I can’t begin to know what he is facing) and taking the time to explain it to those present. To have an engineer who is able to explain what is taking place to the average person is priceless.