COUNTY PLANS MORE PAVING; FIVE MORE MILES OF ASPHALT TO BE POURED

Almost five miles of new pavement is to be poured in Cape Girardeau County during the summer construction season.

While a few miles a year may not seem like much, County Associate Commissioner Larry Bock says the investment is significant.

Much of the work of the county road department is maintenance and repairs.

"When you drive through other counties, I think you can tell what a good job our guys do of maintaining Cape County roads," said Associate Commissioner Max Stovall.

In addition to repairs, a few miles of new pavement are planned each year. Cape Girardeau County has 425 miles of county roads to maintain, and about 60 miles of roads are paved. A mile of new asphalt costs over $50,000.

Roads are chosen for paving based on traffic counts. "We try to get to the most heavily trafficked areas first," Bock said.

The county moves more quickly on projects where landowners are quick to provide rights-of-way for roads.

Road projects on schedule this summer include one and three-tenths miles on County Road 472 off Route B west of Oak Ridge, nine-tenths of a mile on County Road 254 west of Delta, one-half mile on County Road 530 near Pocahontas, and one and a half to two miles on County Road 222 west of Gordonville.

"Records show it's more expensive to maintain a black-topped road than a gravel road," Bock said. Asphalt costs about $25 per ton as opposed to crushed stone at $5 per ton.

County bridges are replaced based on safety factors, Bock said. The bridges with the lowest load limits and those in the most dangerous locations are replaced first.

Smaller bridges are replaced by county crews and larger ones under contract.

Penzel Construction Co. is beginning work on a bridge replacement on County Road 481 just north of Millersville.

The county has already replaced a bridge on County Road 383 at the junction of County Road 381.

Another bridge has been replaced on County Road 530 west of Pocahontas.

On the schedule is a bridge on County Road 532 east of Pocahontas.

On a tentative list for repairs or replacement are bridges on County Roads 522, 247, 277, 610 and 436.

The county has $366,698 in use-tax money that had been held in escrow. The money is destined for road projects, but no specific projects have been targeted.