County road project to continue work

Douglas County commissioners agreed to proceed with major improvements to County Route 442, even though the project is now expected to be approximately $135,000 over budget.

Commissioners agreed to continue on with the project, which runs between East 318 Road and County Route 1029 just east of Stull, because federal funds still will be used to pay for 80 percent of the project’s $2 million in construction costs.

“If we were to walk away from this because it is $135,000 over budget, we would be leaving a lot of federal money on the table,” Commissioner Charles Jones said.

County funds will have to be used to pay for overage, though, because the cost overruns are associated with the relocation of utilities along the route, which aren’t eligible for federal funding.

The project will add shoulders, flatten hills, improve sight distances and replace a bridge along the route. Construction is expected to begin this summer.

Sign-up begins for road-dust program

Douglas County residents have until March 15 to sign up for a program to reduce dust on gravel roads along their property.

The Public Works Department is again offering a dust palliative program, but it will be charging higher fees for property owners interested in the service.

The program allows property owners to sign up for crews to spread liquid calcium or magnesium chloride on gravel roads in front of their homes in an effort to reduce dust.

Public Works will charge a $45 administrative fee for each location, in addition to a 75 cent per lineal foot application charge. Both of those fees are increases from last year.

The new fees, designed to better cover the county and townships’ cost for offering the program, will increase the price residents must pay to have a 500 foot of gravel road treated from $285 to $420.

Anyone interested in applying for the program should call Public Works at 832-5293 before 5 p.m. March 15.