Millions of dollars of work are well underway on dozens of road projects across Boone County. Resurfacing work will continue for the next two months, but that timeframe could change depending on weather.
The Boone County Commissioners are looking forward to seeing the upgrades on existing and newer county road projects that will be tapped for improvements throughout the summer.
“A couple of really significant things to remember going forward is that we are addressing small structures that are weight rated and width restricted, and that’s what our bonds did in 2020,” explained Boone County Commissioners President Jeff Wolfe.
The Boone County Council issued $5.3 million in bonds in 2020, and those bonds will be renewed when they are paid off in 2025, 2026 and 2027, according to Boone County Highway Department Director Nick Parr.
The bonds have accelerated the replacement and repair of smaller structures. The Boone County transportation network includes over 300 miles of gravel roadways. Several gravel roads will be converted to pavement, including CR 700 W from State Road 32 to CR 200 S.
The majority of chip seal and conversion work will take place from June through September and will cause short term delays or daytime closures.
The county’s Highway Department is responsible for the 191 bridges that have a span of 20 or more feet on all roads in Boone County that are not state highways.
“We found through a study that our county’s biggest needs are bridges and small structures,” Parr said. “That was addressed at the County Council meetings, as well as the need for a substantial funding increase in order to get many of these structures—which are too narrow for agricultural equipment to get across or are weight rated so they are not safe enough or strong enough for agricultural equipment or loaded semis to drive across.”
While federal aid dollars are available for these types of local infrastructure projects, they are matched 80-20, so the county has to provide 20 percent of the project’s cost.
For more information on upcoming county roads projects please visit https://www.livinginboonecounty.com/building-infrastructure-today-for-tomorrows-boone-county/
