A request to pave Pulaski County Road 700 South may depend on a future State Road 39 project. Back in March, residents approached the county commissioners asking them to pave a portion of 700 South west of State Road 39. They were back this week looking for an update.
Commissioner Kenny Becker said he discussed the issue with Highway Superintendent Terry Ruff. Ruff came up with a revised cost estimate of $100,000 to pave a one-mile portion. That’s roughly double the estimate he gave in March. Ruff explained that the road would cost more, since crews would be paving it from scratch, rather than just resurfacing an existing road.
However, Ruff said the work could be done at a lower cost, if the county could get millings from another road project. He added that State Road 39 will need to be repaired soon, although no specific plans to do so have been announced by the state. Even if a state highway project does take place, Ruff said increasing demand is making millings harder to get.
He also said the Pulaski County Highway Department is struggling to maintain the paved roads it already has. Ruff said the county has 450 miles of blacktop, but funding limitations mean only about 30 miles can be repaired each year. Diverting $100,000 to pave another road would not be feasible.
