Town of Rock 10970 Cty Rd N
Chairman's Corner
Chairman’s Corner Volume 3 2021
I am not getting the Chairman’s Chat out as frequently as I had anticipated and for that I apologize. It has been a busy start to the year for all of the Board members and myself with road reconstruction projects and other happenings.
This volume I would like to address some of the road projects that you have seen being accomplished throughout the town. The Town Board sets a date to travel every Town road in late April of each year. We observe and inspect the roads, culverts, and ditches to help us make decisions on what projects we need to address and prioritize these projects. This process is not one that is taken lightly as your board has a responsibility to maintain a budget. There are instances where a road project may be cancelled or expedited due to the condition of and traffic on the roadway.
First and foremost, MacArthur Drive is almost near completion. The asphalt surface is complete and American Asphalt will be placing shoulder material along the 2 mile stretch to finish the project. Having the roadway prepped last year helped assure that the roadway base structure was intact and firm enough to support the traffic that uses this roadway. The paving crew stated that doing this in phases helped maintain the roadway and they were able to complete the paving without any difficulties. The board would like to thank the residents that were affected by the “gravel” for the year, but it will help maintain this road for many years.
You have seen that there have been many other roads upgraded the past few weeks with pavement overlays. This is something that the board has begun to do the past few years to increase the life span of the pavement that is in place. The old practice of laying strips of pavement in the wheel ruts on the road has been replaced by placing a complete thin layer of asphalt over the total road surface. This procedure helps maintain or reshape the road so that it can shed water correctly. It also seals any cracks that may appear from stress. Within a few years of placing the overlay, there is a Chip Seal (a combination of hot oil and stones) that is applied over the road and it allows the road to “seal up” once again and enhances the lifespan of the pavement.
If you have traveled down Lincoln Avenue you will notice that it has been re-surfaced as well. Last summer there was an overlay of asphalt applied to the road and after inspection the Board felt that the level of workmanship was not an acceptable to town standards. Supervisor Krainz and I met with Wood County Highway Engineering and stated our displeasure with the project. We were able to negotiate the repair and complete resurface of these 2 miles of roadway at ZERO cost to the Township other than a 50% share of the shouldering material.
Bluff Drive east of Highway B is in desperate need of repairs due to Truck Traffic coming out of a Gravel Pit located in the Town of Richfield on South Lincoln Ave. It has been an extremely difficult situation to rectify as Bluff Drive to the East of our Township is a weight restricted road. Supervisors Krenn, Krainz and I met with representatives of HAAS and Sons Trucking and we were able to negotiate that an extensive amount of material be placed on the road at Zero Cost to the Town other than the grading of the material. The material was placed when HAAS Trucking had the availability to supply the trucks for hauling. This material will now be ground up along with the existing pavement and placed back on the roadway in anticipation of complete reconstruction next year. Bluff Drive is now closed to through traffic for the next few weeks until the grinding process can be accomplished. The town has received a grant to offset some of the cost of reconstruction and we have until 2023 to complete this project.
Another road project that you will be seeing begin is reconstruction of Grant Lane. Grant Lane is the roadway that leads to J+S Processing (the former Hewitt’s Meats) This is a town road at this time and was the very first road to be paved in the township. Since it was first blacktopped, it has never had any extensive repairs or resurfacing performed. The Town Board was approached by the owners of J+S Processing who stated that if the Township would repair the roadway to town standards, J+S Processing would reimburse the Township for the expense. The opportunity for a road to be upgraded at Zero cost to the Township is extremely beneficial. With the donation from J+S Processing, Grant Lane will be reconstructed this summer as the timing of the other projects allows for cost saving measures as companies are already doing work in the Town.
In late August Patton Drive will be “Chip Sealed” by Scott Construction. This will be the final stage of the Patton Drive project which began 2 years ago. This roadway was the first attempt at applying a “full width overlay” of asphalt versus the “wheel rut wedge”. By doing this process, we were able to forgo the cost of crack-filling four miles of road, and then chip sealing the same year. A savings which can amount to upwards of $4,000 per mile per year or more.
The Town Board and I would like to Thank HAAS and Sons Trucking and J+S Processing for the generous donations to the township for road construction. If you happen to run across any of their representatives in your daily routine, Please make sure to extend a “Thank You” to them.
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Until Next Time, Enjoy the summer and be safe.
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Respectfully,
Pete Winistorfer
Chair
715-937-8788