Survey to help Washington County plan road maintenance

FAYETTEVILLE -- A new survey should help prioritize repairs for Washington County's roads.

"It's a great thing," said Charles Ward, superintendent of the Road Department. "Instead of chasing the problems, we can get ahead of the problems -- that's the idea."

Most of the county's paved roads are in good or fair condition, according to the survey. But, without a plan for addressing the needs and after years of cuts to the department's budget, the quality of the roads stood to suffer, Ward and others have said.

The move to get a survey and evaluate the county's extensive road system came after two bridges were discovered to have flawed construction in 2014 and 2015. That controversy sparked an employee shakeup within the department. Ward was promoted to superintendent late last year.

The county has nearly 1,000 miles of roads, with about 450 miles paved. By spring, a survey of the paved roads was underway to increase efficient planning, Ward said.

The survey was estimated to cost about $85 per mile, or about $38,250, according to the contract signed March 1 by County Judge Marilyn Edwards. GreenbergFarrow, a company involved in the project, didn't provide a total cost or miles surveyed by afternoon Friday.

Ward used the survey, in part, to create a project list presented to the Quorum Court during the budget process. The plans include sealing sections of about 35 paved roads for a total of 60 miles.

The only new paving will be about 1 mile on Campbell Loop Road near West Fork, according to the list.

The list helped justices of the peace decide to increase the Road Department's budget from about $9 million this year to about $10.6 million for next year.

The Quorum Court will consider approving the budget at Thursday's meeting.

First Step

It took about two weeks last spring for a group of experts to travel all the county's paved roads and document every crack and pothole, said Michael Morgan, senior project manager at GreenbergFarrow.

GreenbergFarrow, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions and the University of Arkansas's Technology Transfer Program worked with the Road Department on the survey, or First Step Pavement Management, according to the contract.

The Transfer Program is a joint effort with the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, the Federal Highway Administration's Local Technical Assistance Program and UA, according to the Highway Department. It assists cities and counties with transportation-related technology.

GreenbergFarrow is an international architecture, planning, engineering and development service firm with an office in Bentonville. Ergon, out of Little Rock, specializes in asphalt and emulsion, according to the company websites.

The group used the collected data to build a database using geographic information system referencing to create a layered and detailed digital map. The map can pinpoint road problems, including potholes, categorize road quality and show information such as signs. The database is expected to contribute to a state project that maps all city, county, state and federal roads, representatives said.

Jonathan Duran, deputy director of the Arkansas GIS Office, said he didn't know if the county's information from the survey was turned over for the statewide project.

The state's project -- All Road Network Of Linear-referenced Data -- is expected to be finished by next summer, he said.

Priorities

Washington County's survey shows which roads will fall apart if the county doesn't address them within 18 months, Morgan said.

Among the county's paved roads, the large majority are best, good or needs attention -- the top three categories for good roads, the survey shows.

But, here and there, marked in bright red and orange, the map shows some rural paved roads have deteriorated. Those categorized as "critical" include a curve on Fox Trail Road and part of East Robinson Avenue from Neills Bluff Road to just past Ferriel Lane.

Neither of those two roads are on the project list to be resealed with chip and seal next year. All of the roads to be resealed next year are categorized as needs attention.

The county tries to do about 60 miles of sealing per year, Ward said. The department must work within its budget, he said.

Several sections of paved road are considered "lost," according to the survey.

Those roads would cost more to fix than to rebuild, survey representatives said. Money might be better spent to keep roads at risk from deteriorating further, evaluation representatives said.

Morgan said the Road Department should focus on critical or needs attention roads first. The "lost" roads should be made safe, but the department should focus on where best to spend its money, he said.

Part of Starview Lane, South Main Avenue, Kell Street and Roadrunner Lane, all near Fayetteville, are categorized as lost roads. Several serve a small number of homes. For example, Starview Lane serves about four homes, according to the map.

Eventually, the map will be posted online, Ward said. He said he hopes the survey -- another of which is planned for 2018 -- will help residents see what the department is doing and how the road they live on or those they drive regularly are categorized.

The process could take time, Ward said.

An employee who can upload data to the county's geo-referenced database isn't expected to be hired until next year. Also, the Road Department is transitioning into the new system, Ward said.

In the past, road maintenance was rotated based on when the roads were surfaced or resurfaced, not based on need, Ward said. A paved road would come back up for maintenance every five to seven years, he said. The survey lets the Road Department see which roads need attention, Ward said.

The information also will help determine which dirt or gravel road is selected for paving, Ward said. Two roads are expected to be selected for paving in 2018, Ward said.

Meanwhile, the county's dirt and gravel roads will continue to be maintained on a rotation basis, Ward said. Those roads are harder to evaluate because severe weather can damage them quickly and change plans for restoration work, he said.

The road survey is expected to increase efficiency and save money, but there's no estimate on savings, Road Department officials said. Ward said he expects to see a "positive progression" when the 2016 map is compared to the 2018 map.

"We are using (the survey) as a tool so we can better make decisions," Ward said. "It's going to end up saving us money, and it's going to end up saving us time."

NW News on 12/11/2016