Rockhill Road will soon have a new look and feel.
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors Monday unanimously approved emergency repair to a 9,900-foot stretch that begins 3,000 feet past the city limits.
The road has deteriorated significantly over the last three months, Oktibbeha County Road Manager Victor Collins said.
Collins brought 12 pictures to the board to detail the base failure of the road, which is used by residents and Burns Dirt Construction. Collins said Burns Construction uses the road to haul materials and would likely use the road for another 18 months.
The board approved Collins’ request to reclaim the road, which involves using a machine to pulverize the asphalt layer and mix it with the underlying base to stabilize the road. A contracting company will be used to complete the work.
The project will cost $139,000. The board could have opted to use county crews to re-patch the road, which would have been $69,000 cheaper, but Collins advised the board a patch job wouldn’t hold through winter.
“If you travel this road, it will beat your car to death,” Collins said. “It’s an emergency deal, something we need to do as soon as possible. If I don’t do it this year, I’m gonna have to keep patching it. I’ve already sent the motor grater out there three times.”
The project is not in the county’s four-year road plan but will be funded by the county’s road and bridge millage, District 4 Supervisor Daniel Jackson said.
Board President Marvell Howard said the county has a significant amount of roads that have reached “maturity” age, where the surface’s sustainability has reached its max before it’ll start to wear.
Howard believes the county may have to explore purchasing its own reclaiming machine, which can cost in excess of $350,000. The county could benefit tremendously, as Collins estimated the job on Rockhill would be $30,000 cheaper if the county had its own machine.
“I know money is extremely tight,” Howard said, “but it would be beneficial in the long run. It’s crucial to industry and for our citizens. As elected officials, we’re supposed to take care of our citizens by providing safe, drivable roads. Making decisions to purchase equipment is part of that.”
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