During the Sunflower County Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday, District 1 Supervisor Glenn Donald informed the board that he was contacted by Central District Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons about a project that could connect Sunflower and Itta Bena Road.
Sunflower County Engineer Ron Cassada has been informed about the project, along with T.J. Fairley, the county’s road manager.
Donald said, “All of it is State Aid Road, and it used to be paved, so it has a good foundation. We spoke to Ron about it.”
Commissioner Simmons would like the two and a half miles constructed as well.
Donald said, “Ron said we don’t have to do anything but smooth it out, get the excessive gravel off, and we can DBST everything else ourselves.”
Cassada said, “Several years ago, that section of the road was in such bad shape, and you all did not have enough State Aid money to do that section. The county went in there and zipped it up and turned it back to gravel, because there aren’t many houses down there, if any.”
That was one of the easiest ways the county could maintain the road because there were many potholes from the truck traffic.
Cassada said, “having the county go back and place a DBST surface in that should work pretty well, because that is not a county road. It was a State Aid road.”
Cassada informed the board the road would not have the same structure as before, because originally the road had asphalt, which does give it some structure.
Cassada said, “But what they are asking for, I believe that is the most economical way.”
Donald let the board know that Commissioner Simmons will be contacting District 4 Supervisor Anthony Clark and he will be over the project with Commissioner Simmons.
The board reviewed the material cost of the project, which is $181,000.
District 3 Supervisor Sherry Gaston is concerned about Fairview Road within her district.
Cassada said, “That road is in horrible shape. And even if you get some sort of federal grant – which is such a long shot on a road like that, but it can be done – you are looking at years, anytime you are dealing with federal money.”
Cassada told Gaston in the short term, the least cost to get a better road for some time would be to get the county to mix and possibly to do soil cement in front of the houses to keep the dust down.
Donald said, “Mostly everyone has had something done within their district over the last two years. And since Fairview is so bad, what can we do?”
Cassada said, “You can’t use State Aid Road on that road even though it’s a state aid route unless you build a state aid road.”
Donald asked,” How far would this $2 million we are going to get build?”
Cassada said, “Maybe a mile. Now we can maintain about 15 miles a road with the $3.2 million you all get, so the only money you can use is your use tax or the general accounting.”
Fairview Road has been zipped and has gravel on it.
Cassada said, “I don’t know what to recommend. You do have the use tax money and you could budget that as it comes in and begin doing sections of that road as you all did with Charlie Ellis and O.W. Savell sections of building a road that will hold up. The county can do the zipping and it will hold up for several years, but I don’t think it will hold up any longer than that.”
Gaston said, “There are so many holes out there. I would like for whoever gets this seat to come in and meet with the people that live on that road and create a solution that suits them, because I can’t see zipping that road up and having all of that dust.”
Gloria Dickerson, the board’s president and District 5 Supervisor, said, “The use tax money is not spoken for yet.”
The board decided to table the item until the next meeting to review what the Commissioner is asking.
