County engineer updating farm-to-market roadways

The Jefferson County Engineer?s Office is proposing removing 10.2 miles of roadway from the county?s farm-to-market system, while adding 20.3 miles to the routes eligible for state funding.

In addition to 5.2 miles of Business 34 ? west from the Fairfield city limits to Filbert Avenue and east from the Fairfield city limits to Osage Avenue ? acquired by the county after completion of the Highway 34 Bypass, proposed farm-to-market routes include:

? 3.5 miles of Butternut Avenue from 110th Street to Brookville Road,

? 8 miles of 110th Street from Driftwood Avenue to Highway 1,

? 1.6 miles of 185th Street from Kelp Avenue to Pleasant Plain Road

? and 2 miles of Nutmeg Avenue from Highway 34 to Salina Road.

Routes slated for removal from the system include 6 miles of Driftwood Avenue from Jefferson-Keokuk Street to Brookville Road and 4.2 miles of 110th Street from Birch Avenue to Ash Avenue and south to Butternut Avenue.

The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors will review the farm-to-market routes Monday. Pending the board?s approval, the changes then need to be accepted by the state?s farm-to-market review board.

The proposal has been tweaked since it was first brought before the supervisors Feb. 28. At that time, supervisor Steve Burgmeier suggested swapping Driftwood Avenue for 110th Street.

The farm-to-market system also will be impacted by the 2010 Census data.

The drop in Batavia?s population to 499 means the county will gain full jurisdiction of farm-to-market routes running through the city: Ash Avenue and 218th Way.

Jefferson County Engineer Tom Goff explained jurisdiction of farm-to-market routes transfers to cities with populations greater than 500.

Currently, the only city in Jefferson County large enough to not transfer jurisdiction is Fairfield.