Watching details results in savings on parish road projects

"The proof is in the numbers, and the numbers are impressive," said Washington Parish Council member Ken Wheat.

Wheat was talking about the bottom-line on the parish's 2011 road improvement program, which began with a materials budget of $31,500 per mile and a plan to rework 41.97 miles.

Now, with 33 of 51 roads and 25.75 out of 41.97 miles completed, council members are learning that there's a constant fine-tuning going on as the road work is being done.

"We talked with other places to see how they do things," explained Lavelle Stogner, parish transportation manager. "We're always looking to see what we can do better."

As a result, the material costs thus far are coming in an average of $1,406 per mile — which means enough money has been saved thus far to pay for another 1.15 miles at the budgeted rate.

"If people will just look at what they are getting for their money," Wheat said. "In 2009, the average materials cost per mile was $35,000 ... in 2010, it came down to $32,000 and now, it's just a little over $30,000 per mile.

"There's a lot more that goes into this than the public realizes. There's a lot of fine-tuning."

Wheat and his fellow council members got the project update from parish Public Works Director Leo Lucchesi and Stogner as part of a department head report at Monday's regular meeting of the parish council.

Earlier, council members had unanimously approved Resolution No. 11-526, which authorizes the issuance and delivery of not more than $500,000 of water revenue refinancing bonds by the Varnado Waterworks District.

Parish Finance Director Donna Alonzo explained that by refinancing the bonds, the district would obtain a lower interest rate and save more than $90,000 over the life of the binds.

Widening, resurfacing of City Limit Road nearing

If not the roughest street in Bogalusa, City Limit Road has to be near the top of the list.

Marked by pot holes, patch jobs that have been patched and re-patched and, for the past few several months rougher still because of the relocation of drain lines and collection basins, there are brighter days ahead for those who drive the road.

That's because bids will be let on August 19 for a widening project that will result in a street that is safer and easier to navigate.

"After the bids are opened, we'll start the project to widen it to 20-feet from Highway 21 to the railroad tracks," explained Leo Lucchesi, director of public works for Washington Parish.

Lucchesi said the city of Bogalusa had moved the drainage lines and installed new collection basins, filling in a wide, deep ditch that ran along the north side of about one-half the length of the street, which runs about 4,800 feet.

"The city did that work and we (Washington Parish) will oversee the widening and paving on the project," Lucchesi said. "The new drains and collection basins went where that ditch was."

Isabel Swamp Road (partial) paving ahead

Bids for paving the Washington Parish portion of Isabel Swamp Road will be opened on July 15, which means drivers cutting cross-parish to St. Tammany won't eat as much dust.

Or, in the event it ever rains again, have to navigate as much mud.

"It's taken up three-and-a-half years," Parish President Richard Thomas said. Thomas pointed out that federal government officials promised "enough" money to pave the entire road, but have not yet delivered.

In other road news, members of the parish council learned that as many as 50 miles of roads could be paved in the parish this year.

"The key," pointed out Councilman Ken Wheat, "is that this is being done pay as we go."

"That's correct," agreed Public Works Director Leo Lucchesi. "There's no bond money in this."

Wheat said that in reading the state municipal league newspaper, he learned that there were counties and parishes across the country where roads that had previously been paved were being torn up and returned to gravel.

"I think it's important that we have folks working to do as much as they can without spending a lot of money.”

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)