Roads a concern at commission meeting

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A culvert collapsed on Sullivan Road just after a school bus passed over it.

Roads a concern at commission meeting

Posted by

Rachel McDaniel

in News

Wednesday, December 23. 2009

Comments (20)

A town hall meeting that focused on the state of Pike County's non-paved roads opened the Wednesday, Dec. 9 commission meeting. Citizens raised concerns over clogged dirt and mud roads that need constant repair and asked if the county is considering any long-term plans to pave the roads.

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#1 Kim on 12/23/09 at 12:12 PM

And what dirt road does Marro live on? NONE. Hagans Mountain is nearly impassable and now with more rain it will get worse if possible. We even have a commissioner who lives on this road but he is oblivious to what goes on past his house.

#1.1 Flying Jennie on 12/23/09 at 04:39 PM

It's a trade-off for Marro. He lives on a paved road but the traffic noise is terrible. Worse still is the noise from the ambulance service right behind the house, which goes around to the front most of the time. No wonder the house won't sell.

#2 Anonymous on 12/23/09 at 01:31 PM

It won't do any good even if they DO pave the dirt roads. Just go to Crane Rd. It's only been paved a few years, less than 10.
BUT, the county keeps filling in the holes every month instead of saving money by paving it CORRECTLY to start with.
Unless the county paves the roads CORRECTLY, they will still waste tax dollars by their once a month so called 'repairing'.

#3 dirt road dweller on 12/23/09 at 06:35 PM

They wouldn't have so many problems with the roads if they maintained them properly. I think since we have so much money to waste we should hire an engineering firm or our own engineer to advise them what to do.

#3.1 Tommy B on 12/23/09 at 10:18 PM

Maintaining the roads to the point that you might call properly takes a lot of money, paving them correctly and not like Crane road takes a whole lot of money. Pike County has missed the boat for many years on repairing our roads to the point that many of the current paved roads are going to cost much more money to fix. I've been a Civil Engineer for 40 years and have watched the cost of road materials rise to the point of out of reach for counties. 10 years ago the cost on stone base at the Quarry was less than 5 dollars and now over 10 dollars. The price of asphalt at our asphalt plant less than 20 dollars and now over 40 dollars. These are raw material cost not counting the added cost of equipment, labor and trucking. We are to the point now that it is almost impossible to fix anything. Resurfacing a road that is already paved cost over 100,000 dollars per mile and to grade, base and pave a dirt road is over 400,000 dollars per mile for a cheap job. It would take one hell of a splost to pave a few roads. Look at it another way, one mill of tax equals close to 500,000 dollars. How many mills would we have to raise taxes to pave 2 or 3 miles of road per year and there are over 175 miles of un paved roads in Pike County and the same amount of paved roads. Sorry for the long speech.

#3.1.1 Kim on 12/24/09 at 01:58 PM

I know exactly what your saying Tommy. I sure do wish they would just pull the ditches, that would be an amazing help. We both know a triple surface could work, but that too has to be maintained and I just don't forsee it happening. Besides, I think folks would freak when they found out they had to donate their ROW or it could be condemned.

#3.1.2 Kim on 12/24/09 at 02:01 PM

Oh, I almost forgot to ask. Do you think the country is making the most of their LARP monies each year? For sure I would think Reidsboro would be on the LARP list, it has been one big pothole for as long as I remember.

#3.1.2.1 Tommy B on 12/24/09 at 07:15 PM

Kim, I don't think the BOC knows how to ask the DOT or where to go within the DOT to get the larp work for Reidsboro RD. The DOT will give you what they want you to have unless you make a special point with a lot of pressure in the right political areas. We have stayed in the dark down her for years when it comes to the DOT and money for work. The BOC can not just waltz up to the DOT and ask for money. When you go up there you better have a plan and cost in mind before asking and take political clout with you. This is why some counties get so much more than others. I could shock you with stories of my past contracting days with certain counties , DOT and money spent in the small counties, but I have never seen a county get much money without a plan which we lack.

#3.1.2.1.1 Kim on 12/24/09 at 10:13 PM

All the more reason you should have been Chairman. You know how to get LARP and how to prioritize those projects. If you choose to run again, I will volunteer on your roads committee once your elected Chairman. Heck, I will even volunteer on your campaign.

#3.1.2.1.1.1 Tommy B on 12/25/09 at 12:48 PM

Thanks, I plan on trying it again.

#4 Concord Resident on 12/24/09 at 08:51 AM

Maintaining the ditches on a dirt road is imperative. Clogged culverts and shallow ditches are the biggest reason for the washouts. The water has nowhere to go.

On Fosset Rd the county came out and dumped gravel on a small stream that was crossing the road. Of course the ditches were not cleared, so you know what happened next. The gravel acted like a dam, back up the water until it was piled up enough to wash the road out again, this time taking that expensive rock with it.

#5 Pike County Homeowner on 12/24/09 at 09:33 AM

Some of the dirt roads in Pike are just horrible. How much is spent each year to dump gravel and smooth the roads? Some roads just need to be paved and those who are reponsible for getting this done just need to GET IT DONE!

#5.1 Kim on 12/24/09 at 02:10 PM

One of the biggest hurdles to getting the road paved is right-of-way. You may be suprised to learn not everyone is willing to donate their right-of-way to do this. When that doesn't happen the county may have to condemn the aforementioned right-of-way and that is a huge expense. I just don't see the funds for it even though I agree that the majority of the roads should be paved. Maybe they should create a SPLOST just for paving dirt roads and the roads with all right-of-ways donated gets paved first. I'm sure the people would support a SPLOST for paving without all the other crap thrown in.

#5.1.1 Tickler on 12/24/09 at 04:37 PM

That's a great idea, with only one problem.... it would mean the BOC and King Marro would have to decide beforehand to dedicate the SPLOST for road work only. None of em would be willing to do that.... too many personal projects to start first. I for one would vote for a road repair SPLOST but I'll bet my potholes we'll never see it !!!

#5.1.2 Rob on 01/03/10 at 12:18 PM

Take a look at this and you be the judge.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newWEST01POL010310.htm
I could be wrong but it looks as if Mr. Marro is ready to jump ship to Fla. You know this proposal to run the natural gas line seems to have been his pet starting at 1.2 million to the taxpayers and now that isn't good enough, they want a 6" main at 2.2 million for future expansion but our roads can't be addressed in some systematical way. We voted the last SPLOST down because of our leaders inability to be clear about it's use but I feel Kim is right that residents would entertain the idea of a SPLOST designed especially for the repaving effort if clear details were given with no monkey business. I understand the effort to bring new business and jobs into the county to increase revenue but I have seen no effort to explain in detail the ROI on the proposed natural gas project so how can we ever feel that the current leadership can address the road problems adequately....Sorry for running on.

#5.1.2.1 Concord Resident on 01/05/10 at 06:54 PM

I found that link very informative. I'm wondering if anyone else bothered to check it out.

#6 Sherrie on 12/29/09 at 11:34 AM

Drive down the somewhat paved Mckinley Road!! You could be pulled over for weaving just by trying to miss SOME of the potholes. The road crews come by about once a month and fill in the hole and then some. It's a never ending job! Glad no one delivers eggs on this road.

#7 wtw on 12/29/09 at 07:09 PM

tell me why it is so good to live in pike county.Ihave not figured it out yet.

#8 wtw on 12/29/09 at 07:18 PM

this county sould be called patch county instead of pike county.Because all they do is patch the road.

#9 D.B. COOPER on 12/31/09 at 10:44 AM

what in world is going on with these commisioners , do they not live on dirt roads when are they going to finish paving river rd it is a major thru fare the last road before you cross the line its ditchs are so full that the water runs up hill i finally figured out why they call it river road get it done without a splost or tax increase its been ten years since ones been paved

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