Inflation pushes Delaware County's 5-year paving plan farther down road

MUNCIE, Ind. — The cost of asphalt is wreaking havoc with road work budgets and likely will mean a delay in Delaware County's five-year paving plan.

"The public is going to have to be patient with us," said Tommie Humbert, Delaware County Highway superintendent after Monday's county commissioner meeting.

He said that given the price increase for asphalt, there is no way the budgeted plan for paving roads in the next five years will be able to stand. That will mean more road maintenance by applying chip seal for some county roads until the county can afford paving.

Humbert said that last May the price of asphalt for the county was $55 a ton. This May it costs $73.50 a ton. It can take 850 to 900 tons of asphalt to pave a mile of road. 

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Asphalt is a black sticky substance, mixed with crushed stone, sand or gravel, which is used for construction of road surfaces. Chip seal involves putting down a layer of stone on top of a road, then applying an oil coat over it to seal it and hold it together. The process is repeated until the desired thickness is achieved. Chip seal is less expensive that asphalt paving and can last years.

It still maintaining the roads, Humbert said. "We've got to get creative," he said. 

The superintendent said the department recently purchased used steel guardrail at a quarter of the price of new guardrail. It's not as shiny, he said, but it will do the job as well.

"There is just no way we can stay on the five-year plan," he lamented.

Adam Leach, city engineer for Muncie, said that since the city doesn't do its own paving the price of asphalt is locked into the price contractors offer in their bids for projects. All of the city paving projects for this year have been assigned to contractors except for those projects using state Community Crossings money.

Earlier:Community Crossings grants fell short of funding Delaware County paving projects

Muncie received $1 million in Community Crossings grant money to pave 26 city streets.

Delaware County was shut out of Community Crossings funds for road paving in the spring round of funding by the state.

The county had requested $249,893.84 to assist in the paving of Walnut Street between Delaware County Road 900-N and Eaton Wheeling Pike, and to pave streets within Country Village subdivision north of County Road 500-N.

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County officials were told the state simply didn't have enough money to fund all the projects. Humbert said he was going to be requesting $900,000 in the next round of grants to assist in paving.

David Penticuff is the local government reporter at the Star Press. Contact him at dpenticuff@gannett.com.