Engineer says summer projects near completion

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

With the calendar saying that summer ends next week, Henry County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss and his crew are thinking autumn.

Hotchkiss, in his weekly report to county supervisors Thursday, updated the board on summer construction projects. He said all summer projects are either finished or in their final stages.

One of the upcoming fall projects is a shoulder-widening excursion on county road X23, north of Lowell.

?That road has a narrow shoulder on the east side going up one of the hills, so we want to widen it,? Hotchkiss informed the board. ?We will have two flaggers out there directing traffic.? He does not think the project will take long to complete.

The deck was poured last week on the Ash Avenue bridge replacement. ?We?re over the hump now on that one,? the engineer said. ?They are finishing the railing and the grader contractor will be coming in soon.?

Work on 260th Street is nearly completed. Two miles of the road just off Franklin Avenue were re-graded. Hotchkiss said the road is open to traffic with erosion control and minor seeding work remaining to be completed.

Rain has impeded work on culvert work on 140th Street and Hickory Avenue. Hotchkiss said the contractor?s schedule was pushed back due to moisture the past couple of weeks.

Work has begun on the new Oasis Avenue territory shed. The engineer said the footing and walls have been poured.

Soon he will be reviewing applications for an equipment operator. The deadline for applying was Sept. 13.

Reporting on work by the secondary roads crew, Hotchkiss said last week was spent continuing the shoulder pulling project on 150th Street; hauling resurfacing rock to several townships and continuing mowing operations. Some representatives from Caterpillar visited last week for employee training and the county?s new semi tractor was delivered.

Finally, supervisors signed a proclamation designating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The Domestic Violence Intervention Program has been working to end violence in relationships for more than 37 years through collaborative partnerships of advocates, volunteers, local municipalities, criminal justice, health and human services, faith communities, business leaders and private citizens.

Supervisors meet again in regular session Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 9 a.m., in the Henry County Courthouse.