County commissioners note savings in chip-and-seal work

Jackson County is saving more than $135,000 this year by hiring an outside contractor to complete 10 miles of chip-and-seal projects in the county, it has been reported.

During the Jackson County Commission meeting on Monday, Wade Cormier, road superintendent, presented an analysis of what it would cost the county to complete chip-and-seal work this summer.

Cormier estimated that it would cost $423,913 for county workers using county equipment to complete the work, which includes the wages of 19 county road and bridge crew members. It usually takes a road crew between three to six weeks to complete chip-and-seal projects.

This summer will be the third year the county has hired out the work in order to keep county crew members working on their regular road routes.

In March, the commissioners approved the low bid of $288,640 from Harbour Construction of Kansas City to complete 10-miles of chip-and-seal work in the county this summer, which is a difference of $135.273. 

Also during the meeting, the commission:

* Learned from Cormier that county crew members plan to apply dust control to 134th Road between W and Y Roads and W Road between 142nd and 134th Roads this week. Rock is also expected to be added to V Road between 230th and 214th Roads and C Road between 270th and 286th Roads this week. 

* Learned that the commissioners have received several compliments from members of the public on the condition of the roads in the county.

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