COUNTY TO CONTINUE ROAD EFFORT; DUST CONTROL PLAN WILL BE FORMALIZED

JACKSON - A program started several years ago to control dust on gravel county roads is being continued; however, more formalized agreements are being used, Associate Commissioner Larry Bock said Monday.

The program, which involves sharing costs between the county and property owners, was started by Bock's predecessor, Leonard Sander. Bock, who took office Jan. 1, said he plans to continue the program but has expressed concern about what the ultimate costs could be to the county.

Bock said the county is honoring previous agreements that have been made as part of the road sealing program.

The overlay process involves putting down dust oil, which is a sealer, over the loose gravel on the road, and then putting down a pre-mix blacktop on top of the oiled roadway. In addition, applications of the pre-mix blacktop will be needed the next two years.

Along any road that already has an overlay program started, property owners will be charged 50 cents per running foot. But on all new areas, there will be a charge of 50 cents per running foot for the oil applied and another $1 charged per running foot on the pre-mix applied during the 1993 season.

Bock said that under the new agreement the price charged to property owners will be reviewed each year.

"We're reserving the right to set the cost each year," said Bock. "The agreements are signed by the highway superintendent and the landowner."

Bock explained that the charges for the new agreements amount to about a 50-50 split between the property owner and county on costs of materials.

The dust oil costs $1 per running foot, while the overlay costs about $2 a running foot. But, Bock said, "the costs are figured for the material only. It does not include the costs of the equipment or the time of our people to apply it."

Bock added that the county will only apply the sealer to roads that have the proper width for vehicles to move on.

At this time, Bock said there are about 60 miles of county roads in the overlay program. Cape County has about 600 miles of gravel roads.

The initial application of pre-mix blacktop is nearly an inch thick. As further applications are made, the roads develop a hard surface which not only controls dust but makes the roads much like blacktop roads.