Contract rock hitting gravel roads

     Three contracts with three local quarries were signed by the Jones County Supervisors during their April 25 board meeting concerning contract rock placement: River City Stone, Wendling, and Weber Stone.

   “The costs came in extremely good,” reported Assistant Engineer Todd Postel. “We saw a 1 percent increase.”

   The average cost is $12.36 per ton. A total of $1,765,668.30 is being spent on contract rock.

   He said three of the four quarries have already started placing rock on the gravel roads throughout the county.

   “The wheels are in motion.”

   A total of 186.216 miles will be covered with 142,800 tons of rock. This comes out to about 766 tons per mile.

   Postel informed the board that with the funding, they are able to have the quarries hit an additional 12.5 miles.

   “That’s six more roads at the same cost,” he said.

   Those additional roads include add-ons to roads already receiving contract rock, as well as a couple of stand-alone roads.

   “We’re up to almost 200 miles,” Postel said.

   With the additional miles, that brings the total for contract rock to $1.9 million, which means Secondary Roads is looking to add $400,000 to their budget.

   “We need to know where we’re going with the funding,” Postel said, whether it comes from ARPA or LOST (local option sales tax).

   County Auditor Whitney Hein said if the county takes the money from LOST, Secondary Roads might have to push some construction projects back that would utilize those funds.

   The board initially thought of using the interest collected from the ARPA funds, but that is designated to go back into the county’s General Fund.

   “Derek (Snead, county engineer) and I need direction,” Hein told the board, noting a budget amendment will need to happen yet in May.

   It was the consensus of the board of supervisors to take the $400,000 from the ARPA account.

   “I’d rather do that than from sales tax,” Supervisor Ned Rohwedder expressed.

   Postel also provided an update on surface stabilization. Weber Stone has completed rocking 102^nd Street and 215^th Avenue; Secondary Roads hit Forest Chapel Road; and Wendling placed rock on 65^th Avenue. Postel said the surface stabilization contractor will start placing the product (magnesium chloride) next week.

   “The farm traffic will help pack it down,” Supervisor John Schlarmann said of the equipment already on the gravel roads. “It’s good we’re getting it out now.”

   “The roads will get better,” Postel said. “But the problems won’t go away.”