City officials making progress on this year's street program

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- City officials are making preliminary plans to address streets in the 2012 Street Program.

Roads scheduled to see work this year include Horton from Lakin to 18th streets, and Margrave from Jayhawk Road to East National Avenue. The city is in the fourth year of its five-year street and sidewalk improvement program.

Street Supervisor Chad Brown said roads that are used as routes by emergency vehicles are typically addressed first each year, then those that are most in need of repairs. Weather can often be an important factor in the condition of a road from year to year.

"A road can be in good shape one year, and then worse the next year," Brown said.

Public Works Director Eric Bailey said normally, winter weather affects asphalt on roads, causing it to expand and contract.

Brown said work on Horton this year will include milling and overlay and gutter and storm drain work in some spots. A majority of the work to be done on all streets will involve milling and overlay.

Noting that this year's projects are currently in the design phase, Bailey said there will be some sub-grade work and a "complete renewal" of Margrave Street.

"We're working with the engineer getting everything designed," he said. "Then it will go out to bid and be completed this summer."

Project bids will go to the Fort Scott City Commission for approval and contractors will do their work on their schedule, Bailey said.

Core samples are currently being evaluated by the engineer. Last month, the commission approved a design engineering agreement with Professional Engineering Consultants at a total fee not to exceed $19,850. Money for engineering services is budgeted in the city's streets fund.

Bailey said PEC in Pittsburg helps the city each year with the street and sidewalk program.

Assistant City Manager Susan Brown said the city issues about $600,000 in bonds to pay for work to be done each year of the program, but has not yet issued bonds for streets to be worked on this year.

Certain sections of selected streets this year will require extensive sub-base repair before they can be overlaid with asphalt.

"Some roads are getting to the point where we have to dig into the sub-base and put down some matting in areas that are really cracked," Bailey said.