By SALINA POST
At the January 21 Saline County Board of Commissioners meeting, County Engineer Justin Mader provided a quarterly update on the 2025 Road and Bridge Improvement Program. The program includes a variety of projects designed to maintain and enhance Saline County’s transportation infrastructure, with funding allocated for asphalt overlays, chip sealing, bridge replacements, and drainage improvements.
Planned projects for 2025
Asphalt overlay and patching projects are scheduled for Water Well Road, from Ohio Street to the Smoky Hill River Bridge, and Burma Road, from Smolan Road to Hedberg Road. These projects, estimated at $227,000 per mile for a 2-inch overlay, aim to preserve the pavement and extend its lifespan.
Chip sealing, planned for approximately 31 miles of roads, will improve drivability and maintain road surfaces at an estimated cost of $27,500 per mile.
Ohio Street improvements, from Mentor Road to Water Well Road, will include elevation and re-graveling using a chemical base stabilizer for enhanced durability. The design phase for this project is underway.
The Schippel Road Bridge and Simpson Road improvement project will replace a drainage structure at the Schippel/Simpson Road intersection and improve Simpson Road from Schippel to Campbell Road. The $309,501.60 contract was awarded to Reece Construction, with $200,000 reimbursed through ARPA funds. Construction is expected to begin in late spring or summer and last three and a half to four months.
The Water Well Road bridge replacement project, which began in 2024, is anticipated to be completed by April or May 2025. King Construction was awarded the $825,548.62 contract for this project.
Six deteriorating drainage structures will be replaced with reinforced concrete box structures. Design work is complete, with right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation currently underway. Construction is expected to begin in late 2025.
Pipe lining projects include 21 locations, with three sites completed in 2024 and the remaining 18 scheduled for completion by March 2025. Mayer Specialty Services is handling this $554,463.95 contract.
Additional maintenance includes crack sealing and aggregate shouldering, with roads to be identified in early spring and late fall, respectively.
2024 projects ongoing and completed
As the county looks ahead to 2025, several projects are either underway or have been completed during the last quarter of 2024. These include:
Asphalt overlay work by APAC-Kansas, totaling $1,227,244.31.
Crack sealing completed by Pavement Pros for $22,416.80.
Ongoing pipe lining projects, with completion expected by March 2025.
A SMART Award, granted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), allowed the county to purchase a drone and advanced survey sensors to enhance road surveying and data collection.