Highway department’s budget takes hit from flood repair

The estimate is based on known damages and could grow as crews continue to find damaged areas, according to a county news release.

The estimate includes $130,000 to repair and replace about 150 feet of roadway that includes two concrete approaches to a bridge on Farm Road 4; $30,000 to repair about 80 feet of roadway that includes a box culvert approach on Farm Road 1; and $375,000 to clean up and rebuild roads, bridges and box culverts at about 30 other locations.

Clean-up and minor repairs began Tuesday and will continue for about two weeks.

More extensive repairs should be complete within six months, according to the release.

Besides Farm Roads 1, 4 and 10, all county roads are open and passable. Many flood-damaged roads remain rough, however.

Flood damages could delay county highway projects scheduled for this year that were already delayed by the ice storm in January and a flood in June.

“It’s been a difficult year for natural disasters,” Greene County Budget Officer Jeff Reinold said in the release. “This will put a real strain on an already stressed highway department budget.”