Industrial Park road repairs on county's radar

In response to calls regarding the road conditions at the Fort Scott Industrial Park, Bourbon County Public Works Director Jim Harris reported he hasn't had any luck finding funding assistance for road repairs.

Harris said he has contacted the Kansas Department of Transportation to see if there are funding programs available to help pay for repairing the roads.

"There is none, unless we go through the Federal Funds Exchange, but that's targeted for low crossing projects," Harris said.

The county participates in the Federal Funds Exchange program, which allows entities to exchange federal dollars it receives for state dollars, which are then used for road and bridge projects.

As a last resort, Harris said he contacted the USDA and was told there is money available for new roads as economic development, but not for existing roads.

"I did not have any luck finding any funds," Harris said.

He said he has looked at the area and when asked how he would prioritize the area, he said the road from Tri-Valley at least a half a mile south is "pretty rough."

"Is there any chance, with oil prices where they're at, that at the end of the season you might have enough for that?" Commission Chair Barbara Albright asked.

Harris said it is possible, but he wouldn't know for another month.

"It is possible we could have the revenue," Harris said.

Harris said East Hudson and Campbell Roads need to be overlaid with asphalt, as some areas are too damaged to hold a patch. He also said a portion of one road needs to be "chopped up" so the county can start over. Harris also said there needs to be a different base laid to withstand truck traffic. The oil used in the asphalt would be changed to make the material stronger, he said.

Harris said if the work can't be done this year, it would be put on the spring 2016 list.

"We're going to have to look at these options because we don't have the coins," Third District Commissioner Harold Coleman said.

The county currently has scheduled to do six miles of resurfacing this year,

In 2014, the county began working with a 10-year hard-surface road plan for asphalt and chip-and-seal projects. The county completed 12 miles of asphalt work in 2014, which was 10 of the 20 miles on the county's Hard-surface Plan. With most of the county's sales tax funds set aside for road projects depleted in 2014, the county is planning to complete six miles of asphalt work in 2015. There are 115 miles of hard-surface roads in Bourbon County, Harris said Tuesday.