(BEDFORD) – The Lawrence County Commissioners opened bids Tuesday morning to replace bridge 121 on Williams Silverville Road over Indian Creek. Bids were also opened for Community Crossing paving projects.
Those bids were taken under advisement.
Lawrence County Highway Superintendent David Holmes reported crews would be finishing up chipping and sealing roads in District I this week.
Crews are doing between 12 to 15 miles in each district.
“We will begin in District 3 on Monday,” added Holmes.
Holmes says he knows residents are not happy, but this process helps to save county roads.
Chipping and sealing a road is not a one-step process. The oil preserves the roadway while the stone keeps the oil off the vehicles. The new chip-seal surface can require up to two days to cure properly. Hot, dry weather helps speed up this process. Traffic can pass over this surface at reduced speeds during the curing process. After curing, the loose gravel is swept off the surface. This may take several sweepings.
Bridge crews will be working on the approach to Bridge 199 on Tunnelton Dennison Road. Crews are also working on other area bridges on some minor issues that were noted in the bridge inspection report.
The commissioners signed a contract for the federal retro-reflective signage for District 2. The county received $552,240 in federal transportation funds to replace road signs to meet the latest national retro-reflective standards set by the Federal Highway Administration. These funds will not replace road name signs.
Lawrence County Sheriff Mike Branham reported T&G Construction Inc. is installing sewer grinders at the jail.
Inmates have been flushing wrappers from items purchased from the commissary, clothing, and other things down the toilets and clogging the city’s sewer lines.
The grinders will keep the sewer systems from getting clogged.
Sheriff Mike Branham says blockages have occurred several times this year. Many times a blockage has been found blocks away from the jail, causing lines to back up in area businesses and homes.
T&G Construction submitted the lowest bid at $102,989. RQAW Corporation is overseeing the project.
Sheriff Branham reported there were 158 inmates in the jail as of Tuesday morning. Of those 127 were males, 31 were females, eight were Level 6 offenders, and six were Department of Correction hold and no parole holds.
“This is the best they have been in a long time,” Sheriff Branham added.
Emergency Management Director Valerie Luchauer attended at hazardous material training Tuesday in Indianapolis.
She is also working with Columbus and Monroe County officials on Haz-Mat training.
Court Appointed Special Advocate Association or CASA, asked permission to use the courthouse lawn on Saturday, Oct. 26 for their Fall Festival.
