COUNTIES WEIGHED DOWN WITH A 200 MILLION DOLLAR BACK LOG OF ROAD WORK

 
TRAFFIC HAS BEEN BACKED UP FOR THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS AS CREWS UPGRADE COUNTY ROADWAYS THAT ARE IN DIRE NEED.
“our focus has been primarly on major roads those are in pretty good shape, we’ve been able to leverae quit a bit of money last few years, but rural areas still in very bad shape, that’s where the deferred maintenance is.”
 HUMBOLDT COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TOM MATSON SAYS CURRENTLY THERES UP TO 2-MILLION DOLLARS IN BACKLOG WORK FOR COUNTIES ROADS.
 MAJOR PROJECTS LIKE AIRPORT ROAD IN MCKINLEVILLE OR HARRISON AVENUE HAVE TAKEN PRIORITY LEAVING OTHER AREAS PRETTY ROUGH
Nat Sent – (cars))
 AND GROUPS LIKE HEALTHY HUMBOLDT BLAME THAT ON POORLY PLANNED GROWTH IN THE GENERAL PLAN.
“we need policies in the general plan that will concentrate most future residential growth in already accessible areas so we don’t burden our children and grandchildren with roads they cant afford to maintain.”
 BUT PUBLIC WORKS SAYS IT’S NOT A PLANNING PROBLEM BUT RATHER A LACK OF FUNDING
“THAT IS A STATEWIDE NATIONWIDE ISSUE, IT IS EVERYWHERE BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AVAILABLE TO REPAIR ROADS, SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO MAINTAIN THE RAOD SYSTEM.”
“but it goes further than city and county roads even hihgway construction is backed up”
CALRTANS SAYS OVER 1.5 BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF PROJECTS ARE BEING DELAYED BECAUSE OF THE DELAYED STATE BUDGET.
 THIS COULD POTENTIALLY EFFECT PROJECT IN OUR OWN BACKYARD.
“project that could be effected locally mad river bridge replacement project, budget impass goes on, no ability to pay contractor we could be facing the cost going up by a million from different charges and fees.”