Surface work remains to be completed
Reed Road has been experiencing significant updates since January and is a head of schedule, Mark Hooker, Washington County engineer told the board of supervisors Monday.
“We are through with all the undercut and patching,” he said. “So many extra places have broke through that were not in the plan, that needed repair. We want to transfer half of remaining State Aid funds to this project.”
Hooker said State Aid has given the fund transfer request a green light, if approved by t supervisors.
Transfering the requested $200,00 would leave a ballance of approximately $200,000 of State Air funds, and bring the total cost of the Reed Road project to $1.5 million.
Board attorney Frank Power reviewed the request made my Hooker and found no issues.
“We are waiting on things to dry out before we continue and I also wanted to get the change order approved before continuing,” Hooker said.
The expected time line for completion is July.
“We need the asphalt that is there to set for 4 weeks,” Hooker said.
“We are not through and that is not the finished surface, but it has to set before we can continue. “
The project is scheduled to take place in 180 working days and only 50 or so working days have been expended as a result of rain and wet conditions.
Hooker told supervisors at the April 1 meeting that 99% of patching the base layer was complete.
“We ran into other issues as we were working and are making those repairs as we go,” Hooker said. “Water comes in there and the surface cracks and the water goes into the cracks and gets in the base and washes it out. We will be waiting on warm weather for the sealing product because it requires a certain amount of setting time of ambient weather where it can seal.”
The rehabilitation of Reed Road are the first significant repairs since 1981.
Plans to repair Reed Road have been in the works since July 2017, when Greenville City Council members offered to contribute $300,000 toward resurfacing a 1-mile stretch of the road from Canal No. 9 to Raceway Road. Initial estimates were $1.6 million to dig up the asphalt, repair the roadbed and lay down a new surface.
The city’s contribution was matched with the Washington County Board of Supervisors Office of State Aid funds. In September, supervisors awarded the project to the lowest bidder, APAC Mississippi for $1.36 million.
The project entails resealing the road with a fog seal top, which will help add another five years to the road’s lifespan.
Reed Road’s initial project start date was Dec. 10, but rain delayed the start until January.
The first steps in rehabilitating the road include digging out the failed areas, grading the bottom of the roadway and placing the crushed stone and asphalt, Hooker said.
Laying a new surface for the road will not begin until the spring brings proper conditions for the materials used.
