Chip and seal

More than a year after the idea was first brought to the table, chip-and-seal paving of county roads began last week in Cape Girardeau County.

The chip-and-seal concept, a less expensive alternative to higher-quality paving, has not been embraced by everyone, but most agree it's a huge upgrade from gravel roads.

The first road to get chip and seal was County Road 273 near the Stoddard County line.

This is a work in progress. It will be interesting to see how the roads hold up and how residents along the chip-and-seal roads respond over the next year or so.

Blevins Asphalt of Mount Vernon, Mo., was awarded the contract with a bid of bid $788,124. This year, 11 miles of gravel are scheduled to be receive chip-and-seal surfacing, including County Roads 273, 316, 380, 422, 523, 539, 440 and 522.

This is a big upgrade for our county infrastructure. It's good to see the program begin.