County Prepares For Storm; Looks At Upcoming Paving

By MARK EVANS

STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD

While changing weather conditions left County Road and Bridge Foreman Scott Schmieder trying to figure out how to approach road care last week, the Ste. Genevieve County commissioners were looking up 2022 paving and resurfacing projects.

With heavy rain last Wednesday night and Thursday morning and temperatures expected to dip way below freezing, Schmieder was in a bit of a quandary.

“I don’t know if I if I need to get ready to go fight a flood or go fight ice,” Schmieder said at last Thursday’s commission meeting. “There’s no good answer for the weather at the moment.”

The county wound up getting nearly two inches of rain, with temperatures rising and falling above and below the freezing mark.

Schmieder also reported that he had ordered more blade tips for the graders and that he had accompanied state inspectors in inspecting county bridges.

Schmieder said his crew was also “adding rock here and there,” wherever needed on unpaved roads.

The number of gravel roads is gradually decreasing in the county. Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson noted, though, that they need to “drop back and maintain paved roads” before paving new ones.

A couple of roads the commissioners hope to pave this year are Smith and Westover, west of Route D in the western part of the county.  That would free up the county from having to haul a grader that far for such small stretches.

Coffman Road is another that will hopefully get done this year. Nelson said they have planned to pave it for two years, but events have interfered.