A McElmo Canyon paving project on County Road G has stalled, leading to risky driving and longer commutes.
Scheduling and financial issues on the chip-seal project have stalled its completion, said Montezuma County road manager Rob Englehart.
He said the project is still on schedule, but the county hadn’t foreseen that a grinder contractor would finish the job three weeks ahead of schedule.
“We estimated it would take four to five weeks, but it took them just one week,” he said.
In the meantime, the stretch of road from County Road 21 to County Road J is in rough condition while it awaits a chip-seal layer, and the $176,000 in grant money to pay for the material has not arrived.
“We realize the road is rough and are asking for patience out there,” he said. “If we proceed before we receive the grant, we lose it.”
Oil contracts and delivery were secured in January and scheduled for payment in July, Englehart said. The project began in late March.
The money is expected to be freed up soon, and the chip-seal layer installed and completed in early July.
The road’s substructure was damaged and had to be torn out. A layer of gravel was laid, and magnesium chloride applied to hold it together before the chip-seal layer.
For residents and commuters, the road has become a challenge.
“It’s pretty rough, and takes longer to get to town and back,” said Jessie Harrison, a McElmo Canyon resident. “The county is doing the best they can, but the public’s not always cooperating.”
He said people have been speeding through the construction zone, and some drivers have lost control in the gravel and slid off the road.
A paving trial lies ahead
A second project, on a two-mile section of Road G from U.S. 491 to County Road 21, will receive an asphalt overlay from Four Corners Materials, Englehart said.
On Monday, the county commission approved $795,000 for the trial project.
“It is a true asphalt mix that levels out the ruts and ridges of paved roads,” Englehart said. “If it is successful, we want to use it to improve more of our roads.”
The funds will come from the road and bridge department’s budget and reserves. The deal did not require a competitive bid, Englehart said, because it’s a test trial. If successful, he expects competitive bidding process on it next year.
“The asphalt mix is being used on Highway 184, west of 145, and looks like it’s working really well,” he said. “Four Corners Materials has a system where they simplify the paving process and reduce engineering costs. The traditional paving costs would be double, so we are trying to do a good job with less.”
The asphalt paving trial will also be applied to on Road 22, north of Road S for 1.1 miles.
The newly paved sections will be monitored to see how it hold up to a year of heat, ice and snowplows.
“It’s been a while since we’ve paved a county road,” said commissioner Larry Don Suckla. “If the new pavement does not hold up, we will go a different direction.”
Englehart said drivers should avoid McElmo Road if they can during the projects to avoid delays that will be significant at times.
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com