By Michael Howell
The County Commissioners are considering a seven-year road pavement improvement schedule as well as a schedule for chip sealing county roads. No decision was made about the schedule, but the Commissioners considered one submitted by the County Road and Bridge Department last week and will continue to accept public comment. No date has been set for a decision on the matter.
Ravalli County has approximately 1450 miles of public roadway. Approximately 550 miles of those roads are maintained by the County Road Department. Of the 550 miles of roadway, approximately 300 miles are paved and 250 miles are graveled.
Road Department Supervisor Dusty McKern told the Commissioners that the average lifespan of a newly paved road in the county was about 20 years. With 300 miles of paved roads in the county, a full replacement schedule over 20 years would cost about $1.6 million annually for materials alone. McKern said the full replacement schedule would require about 15 miles of paving every year but the county is currently scheduling about 7 miles per year, except for this coming year in which 14 miles is scheduled.
Road Department Administrator John Horat said that if the Commissioners approved the new schedule, the $2 million in the county’s Secure Rural Schools account would be depleted by 2017. Congress is still considering whether to fund the SRS program beyond this year.
The pavement improvement schedule is under constant review and can be changed annually due to various issues. But right now the proposed schedule for pavement improvement looks like this:
2015 – 6.71 miles $536,800
Lost Horse Road – 1 mile; pavement overlay from the top of the hill to the west
Store Lane – 2.27 miles; pavement overlay from Three Mile Road to Dry Gulch
6th Ave., Victor – ½ mile; mill overlay
Hattie Lane – .26 miles; pavement overlay from Kurtz Lane to Daly Lane
One Horse Creek Road – 0.1 mile; overlay from Highway 93 to Florence Carlton Loop
Florence Carlton Loop – 1.3 miles; overlay from One Horse Creek Road to Tie Chute Lane
Tie Chute Lane – 1.28 miles; overlay from Highway 93 to edge of pavement
(Funding has already been authorized for all these projects except Lost Horse Creek Road and Hattie Lane.)
2016 – 6.59 miles $527,200
Baldwin Road – 1 mile
Park Lane – ¼ mile
Wagner Lane – ¾ mile
Foley Lane 1.25 miles
Water Street (Corvallis) – .72 mile
Fish Hatchery Road – 1.64 miles
Bailey Lane – 1
2017 – 6.63 miles $530,400
North Birch Creek – 1 mile
North Burnt Fork – 1.3 miles
Luby Lane – 1.5 miles
Bourne Lane – 1.26 miles
Grantsdale Cut-off – .66 mile
Old Darby North – .89 mile
2018 – 6.56 miles $524,800
Hawker lane – 1 mile
St. Mary’s Road – ¾ mile
Pleasant View (upper and lower) – 3 to 4 miles
Daly Ave. – ¾ mile
2019 – 6.34 miles $507,200
Holloway Lane – .21 mile
West Side Road – 2.3 miles
Sheafman Creek – 2.2 miles
Bowman Road – 2.3 miles
Pine Hollow – 1.1 miles
2020 – 6.33 miles $506,400
Willoughby Lane; Red Crow; Bunkhouse Road; Mcintosh Lane; Cherry Orchard Loop; and Wickiup Drive
2021 – 6.69 miles $535,200
Old Darby Road South; Old Highway 93; Sheafman Creek Road; Hannaford Ave. (Florence)
2022 – 7.38 miles $590,400
Pine Hollow; Three Mile
2023 – 7.03 miles $562,400
Ricketts; Logan; El Capitan; Night Hawk Lane
CHIP SEAL SCHEDULE
2015 – 10.47 miles $261,750
Bailey Lane – 1.66
Corvallis Cemetery Road – .8
Bowman Road – 1.45
Ambrose Creek Road – 2.5
Lower Mill Creek Road – 1
Logan Lane – .8
Golf Course Road – .75
Rickets Road – .5
2016 – 10.2 miles $255,000
Honey House Lane – 1
Red Crow Road – 2.46
Meridian Road – 1.25
Middle Burnt Fork Road – 2.25
N. Kootenai Creek Road – 2
Meadow Vista Drive – 4.9
Kurtz Lane – .75
2017 – 9.21 miles $230,250
Old Corvallis Road – 4.6
West Side Road – .75
West Side Road – 1.25
Willow Creek Road – .75
Upper Woodchuck Road – 1.4
Clark St. – .26;
2018 – 6.71 miles $167,750
Lost Horse Road – 1
Store Lane – 2.27
6th Ave. – .5
Hattie Lane – .26
One Horse Creek Rd. – .1
Florence Carlton Loop – 1.1
Tie Chute Lane – 1.26
2019 – 6.59 miles $164,750
Baldwin Road – 1
Park Lane – .25
Wagner Lane – .75
Foley Lane – 1.25
Water Street ¬ .72
Fish Hatchery Road – 1.64
Bailey Lane – 1
2020 – 6.63 miles $165,750
North Birch Creek – 1
North Burnt Fork – 1.32
Luby Lane – 1.5
Bourne Lane – 1.25
Grantsdale Cut-off ¬ .66
Old Darby North ¬ .55
2021 – 6.56 miles $164,000
Hawker Lane ¬ .99
St. Mary’s Road ¬ .75
Pleasant View (lower) – 2.32
Pleasant View (upper) – 1.75
Daly Ave. – .75
2022 – 6.34 miles $158,500
Holloway lane ¬ .21
West Side Road – 2.3
Sheafman Creek – 2.2
Bowman Road ¬ .53
Pine Hollow – 1.1