Byrnes Mill city officials recently agreed to spend almost $60,000 on repairs to Franks Road and parts of Upper Byrnes Mill and Lower Byrnes Mill roads.
Public Works Supervisor Bob Schmidt said routine maintenance is greatly needed on the roads.
Schmidt said Franks Road, which has needed repairs for about three years, doesn’t have as much traffic as Upper Byrnes Mill and Lower Byrnes Mill roads.
“We have a couple of roads that the edges are breaking away from years of use and abuse,” Schmidt said. He said those edges will be reinforced.
“There’s about a 3- or 4-inch drop-off (on Lower Byrnes Mill Road, right before entering Hwy. 30) and people drive off the road, not paying attention. We’re going to be milling and patching to reinforce the edges so that there won’t be a drop-off if someone drives over the edge,” Schmidt said.
The edges on Lower Byrnes Mill Road will be reinforced with crushed limestone, Schmidt added.
The Byrnes Mill Board of Alderpersons voted unanimously on Aug. 2 to award a $59,589 contract to Basic Asphalt Paving in House Springs to complete the road repairs.
“You want to be able to drive safely, and we certainly don’t want to cause accidents,” Mayor Rob Kiczenski said. “Byrnes Mill has a lot of fairly narrow roads so wherever needs to be repatched or repaired, we try to keep that up.”
Basic Asphalt Paving will begin patching potholes this month, City Administrator Adam Thompson said.
Schmidt said the company was supposed to begin the work this week.
He said the goal is to have the work finished before the school year begins.
Thompson said the city will fund the repairs with money from its capital improvement funds. Those funds come from revenue generated by Proposition C, a half-cent sales tax voters approved in 2018. The tax is used to improve stormwater systems, the transportation network, safety measures, and the health and general welfare of those who live and work in the city or who travel through it, according to city documents.
Schmidt said motorists may expect some delays while completing the repairs, but flaggers will be on hand to direct the flow of traffic.
Thompson said the city will alert residents to construction updates on its website and Facebook page.