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Fewer bumpy rides ahead in Washington County

"Reclaimed" highways will eliminate some of the roughest stretches on six roads. Pavement work will cost $6.1 million. One of the worst roads is County Road 8 near Hugo.

May 12, 2010 at 4:07AM

In the interest of public safety, stretches of some of Washington County's most bone-jarring highways will undergo repair this year.

More than just filling potholes, the county intends instead to "reclaim" pavement by grinding up portions of six highways and using the material as a base for new surfacing. One of the worst roads is County Road 8 near Hugo.

"If you were to drive that road today it's bumpy, the shoulders are crumbling," Wayne Sandberg, the county's assistant engineer, told county commissioners Tuesday. "It's in very poor condition."

The County Board agreed to shift $1.86 million in state aid to help pay for the pavement work, which will cost $6.1 million. The action was a reallocation of money at no cost to taxpayers, Sandberg said.

All of the designated roads are showing considerable wear and tear and need work to prevent accidents, Sandberg said. Included on the list are portions of county highways in Newport, Cottage Grove, Woodbury, Denmark Township and May Township.

The county manages a "pavement preservation" program to extend the life of a highway as long as possible without major reconstruction, Sandberg said. About 15 miles of highway would be improved under the current allocation, he said, with more roads targeted in coming years.

Overall the county manages 630 "lane miles" of highway.

Meanwhile, commissioners studied various bonding scenarios for future major road projects and other capital costs during a work session after their meeting Tuesday.

The public works projects include: a $41 million reconstruction of arterial highways in Forest Lake; $2.5 million for rebuilding crumbling roads around the government campus in Stillwater, resurfacing DeMontreville Trail in Lake Elmo; overhauls of portions of Valley Creek Road and Woodbury Drive in Woodbury, and improvements to County Hwy. 10 in Oakdale near Interstate Hwy. 694.

Commissioners weighed the financial considerations of investing in more than $30 million in bonds in 2011, although they took no action and disagreed on the fiscal outlook.

"If there's a time we should be doing this it's now because interest rates are low," said Dennis Hegberg, who is a Forest Lake banker. But Gary Kriesel urged caution because of continuing budget difficulties.

One of the capital projects under consideration is a $2.2 million records management system for the Sheriff's Office, of which $1.5 million would come from bonding. The computer-aided dispatch system would replace one 20 years old, said Sheriff Bill Hutton.

Kevin Giles • 612-673-4432

IN OTHER BUSINESS:

• The county congratulated Kriesel for receiving a Military Hero award from the Twin Cities Area Red Cross. Kriesel won the award for his diligence in "helping and comforting neighbors in need" through the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Network. Kriesel, active in the effort to assist military families during deployment, in turn applauded the many people who have rallied to the program.

• The county also commended County Engineer Don Theisen for being named the national Urban County Engineer of the Year. The award from the National Association of County Engineers recognizes efficient engineering, economic design and safety on highways, among other achievements.