(Clarinda) -- Page County officials and at least one concerned resident are continuing to discuss "end of project" details on a recent road resurfacing project.
Meeting in regular session Tuesday night, the county board of supervisors discussed the recent 11-mile, $3.3 million resurfacing project on O Avenue, or M63, with Page County Engineer J.D. King and county resident Tom Wagoner. Wagoner previously raised red flags regarding three main concerns, one of which started at the very beginning of the project with the cold-in-place recycling process done by a subcontractor back in May, and he critiqued a "lack of urgency" from the county.
"I sent emails questioning the improper width of the equipment and the resulting non-uniform depth, width, or placement of the roadway center line, and I've got no answer," said Wagoner.
Additionally, Wagoner reiterated a failure he has pointed to since June to meet the "end of project" specifications of a smooth 300-foot long transition from the top layer of asphalt to the concrete at the Page-Montgomery County line on the north end of the new pavement. Per his string line measurements of the surface, Wagoner says deviations from the plan range up to seven inches and have created a significant dip, which he has said needs to be addressed immediately.
Supervisor Jacob Holmes concurred with Wagoner that Henningsen Construction out of Atlantic -- the contractor on the project -- needs to follow through on agreed specifications laid out by the county, suggesting the northernmost 300 feet be redone.
"They saw that when they bid it, and I've done work for people and if it doesn't line up with what was set, I got to go back and fix it not scab it over and try to fix it -- you've to to fix it right, especially on something this big," said Holmes. "I don't understand why this is so complicated and this is really confusing. Are we scared we're going to upset Henningsen? If I was Henningsen, I'd be upset that this is brought up all the time and come fix it anyway. The document that I signed, I want followed."
King says initial ideas have also included filling in the dip on the northern end with another layer of asphalt to smooth the transition. However, Wagoner and Holmes question whether the underlying cold-in-place-recycling layers are to blame for the uneven surface, hence the need to completely redo the portion of the road.
Supervisors Chair Alan Armstrong says he has been satisfied with answers from King on how to address the situation, and more information on fixing the north end of the project likely wouldn't come to fruition until Henningsen visits the site within the next two weeks. However, Wagoner says a plan -- which he says is still too vague -- should be in place well before then.
"I get the email, 'we might mill wider,' and I said 'what width are you talking about, what depth, are you going to sample so you know exactly what you need to remove,' -- no answer," said Wagoner. "Where's the plan? I've asked for the plan and if you don't have the plan before the contractor gets here, you're putting the cart ahead of the horse."
Wagoner has also expressed concerns over areas where excess oil has bled through the upper layers of asphalt. King has identified two to three locations and he and his inspector would determine the width and depth of milling around the trouble areas. However, Wagoner says he can recall at least 12 combined spots within roughly a mile or so on each end of the project and more likely in between.
Wagoner finished by criticizing King for a lack of leadership and oversight on the project and encouraged the board not to sweep inaccuracies with the multi-million dollar project "under the rug."
"Are you just going to let this thing slide by, or are you going to instruct the engineer to make sure the contractor lines up with the profile for that pavement," he said. "As specified in these documents that you all signed and approved."
Wagoner adds this isn't a "quick fix," and time will certainly not heal the current issues with the fresh pavement. While Holmes initially made a motion to instruct King to require Henningsen to follow the plan to the letter, the motion died due to no action being listed on the agenda and the board reiterating a consensus from a previous meeting to ensure the repairs are done correctly.
