Chambers County Highway Department advances County Road 62 reconstruction

CONTRIBUTED BY CHAMBERS COUNTY

CHAMBERS COUNTY — The Chambers County Highway Department is expected to complete the reconstruction of County Road 62 between State Road 22 and County Road 131 in the Sparkling Springs community during the week following Labor Day.

Members of the Chambers County Commission visited the project on Tuesday, Sept. 1, as the Highway Department began paving operations. 

The County Highway Department is utilizing a construction method known as “Full Depth Reclamation” for the County Road 62 project. The process involves incorporating the existing paved surface into the roadway’s underlying base material, allowing county forces to reconstruct and stabilize the roadway before applying multiple layers of asphalt and aggregate. The final surface treatment is generally referred to as tar and gravel or chip seal.

The use of full depth reclamation is part of the County Highway Department’s ongoing effort to increase the number of rural roads that can be improved using county employees and equipment.

“Several years ago, we met as a department and discussed creative ways that we could reach more of our rural roads. We determined we had to do more of the construction work with our own employees and equipment,” County Highway Superintendent John Holderfield said. “We knew there would be a learning curve, but we believed we could improve more of our rural roads by performing the work with our own staff and equipment.”

In the initial stages of the program, county crews reconstructed the roadways, and outside contractors were utilized to complete the final surface treatment process. The Highway Department has since developed the capability to perform the entire process, including the surface treatment.

For full depth reclamation projects completed by county forces, the only portions of the work not performed by county personnel are roadway striping and the installation of pavement markers.

County Engineer Josh Harvill said the approach allows the county to make strategic use of its available resources while continuing to utilize private contractors for projects that require specialized services or involve higher-volume roadways.

“We have excellent contractors in our local area and the state of Alabama in general,” Harvill said. “We still rely on those contractors for a lot of our projects. But we’re consistently challenging ourselves to do more with less. By using our county forces to reconstruct our most rural and less-traveled roads that are in desperate need of repair, we can increase the number of road miles improved annually. We will continue to contract the paving work on our more highly traveled roadways. Our employees enjoy the process and take a lot of pride in the improvements they’re making across the county.”

Harvill noted that the Highway Department’s current goal is to reconstruct approximately 12 miles of roadway each year utilizing county forces.

Five-Year Transportation Plan

The County Road 62 project is part of a broader, long-term approach to transportation improvements in Chambers County.

On July 13, the Chambers County Commission approved a five-year transportation plan outlining the  county’s transportation goals and priorities for the next five years. The plan identifies approximately 170 miles of road improvement projects, along with eight bridge projects.

More than 60 miles of the planned road improvements are scheduled to utilize the Full Depth Reclamation process, with the work to be performed by employees of the Chambers County Highway Department.

The transportation plan represents a significant commitment by the Chambers County Commission to address roadway and infrastructure needs throughout the county while maximizing the resources available to the county.

Additional information regarding the Chambers County Commission’s Transportation Plan and the projects included in the plan is available through the County Commission’s website www.chamberscountyal.gov/departments/highway-department/chambers-county-transportation-plan.

“I’m excited for those citizens of our County that will be affected by these projects,” Commissioner James Williams Sr. said. “Our county engineer and his staff have put together an aggressive plan for the next five years, and I look forward to the positive impact it will make on the citizens of Chambers County.”

Harvill said the Highway Department is focused on completing the projects currently underway while preparing to implement the new five-year transportation plan in 2027.

“We’re excited about finishing the projects in front of us this year and then getting started on our new five-year plan in 2027,” Harvill said. “The County Commission has approved an extensive list of projects to complete. We wish the list could be longer, and we’ll keep looking for ways to add more projects.”

The Chambers County Commission and Highway Department remain committed to improving the county’s transportation infrastructure, addressing roadway needs across all areas of Chambers County and making responsible and efficient use of county resources.