Scheduled Improvements to Darke County Roads & Bridges for 2013
By James P. Surber P.E.,P.S., Darke County Engineer 

In addition to normal required maintenance, an estimated $2,608,456 worth of improvements to County roads and bridges is scheduled for 2013 that will be 93 percent locally funded. Local funds are gas tax and license fees returned monthly to the County by the State of Ohio for County Highway operations. No real estate or sales taxes fund Darke County roads and bridges. The County Engineer and Highway Department are responsible for 519 miles of County road and 530 bridges on County and Township roads. 

COUNTY ROAD SURFACING: The following eighteen County roads which total  - 

30.14 miles are scheduled for new surfaces during May ‑ July at an estimated contracted local cost of $1,640,000. 

Road Name  -  From (Rd.)  -  To (Rd.)  -  Length (Mi.)

Wasson  -  Ohio-Indiana Line  -  Hillgrove-Southern  -  2.96

Chenoweth  -  Hollansburg-Tampico  Palestine-Hollansburg  -  0.31

Grubbs-Rex  -  Arcanum-Ithaca  -  Gordon-Landis  -  2.03

Gettysburg-Webster  -  Gettysburg Corp.  -  S.R. 185  -  4.97

Arnold  -  S. R. 571  -  Ch. Home-Bradford  -  1.09

Ch. Home-Bradford  -  Arnold  -  S. R. 49  -  1.02 

Burns  -  S. R. 185  -  Reed  -  2.07

Harrison  -  Rush  -  Hollansburg-Arcanum  -  2.10

Hollansburg-Sampson  -  Gordon-Landis  -  Miami Co. Line  -  3.15  

New Weston-Ft. Loramie   End Twp. maintenance S. R. 49  -  2.58

Ohio-Indiana Line  -  Wasson  -  Pickett  -  1.94

Greenville-Bakers Store  -  Stingley  -  S. R. 502  -  1.74

Total  -  30.60

Wabash-York  -  USR 127  -  Elijah-York  -  1.52

Castine-Gordon  -  S. R. 49  -  Miami Co. Line  -  0.48  - 

Old US 36  -  USR 36  -  USR 36  -  0.81  - 

Clifton Drive  -  Daly  -  S. R. 571  -  0.33

Eidson  -  S. R 121  -  S. R. 49  -  0.75

Ravenwood Drive  -  Ch. Home-Bradford  -  dead end  -  0.29 

Total   30.14

PAVEMENT MARKING:  About 319 miles of road will have new centerline and no‑passing markings applied, and about 350 lane‑miles (175 road miles) will have white edge-line markings applied at a total estimated local cost of $171,000. The project will be contracted and is expected to require 5470 gallons of yellow paint and 5800 gallons of white paint. Centerline markings are estimated to cost $263 per mile and edge-lines at $250 per lane mile. 

CULVERT REPLACEMENT: An estimated 30 roadway culverts and 10 subsurface tile crossings will be replaced this year on the roads that are planned to be resurfaced in 2014. All work will be done by County personnel and equipment, with an estimated material cost of $28,000, and total estimated costs including labor and equipment of $60,000.

CRACK SEALING: An estimated 50 miles of County Road will have pavement cracks sealed with hot‑applied crack sealant material by County personnel. The total estimated cost for this work is $156,000, using an estimated $80,000 of materials, and will be performed throughout the year. 

SIGNS:  About 800 new STOP signs will be installed this year on County Roads. The cost of the signs is estimated at $35,500 with a federal grant providing 80% or $28,400 of this amount. The total cost, including hardware, labor and equipment is estimated at $60,500 and all installation work will be done by County employees using County equipment. 

ROAD RECONSTRUCTION: A major widening and reconstruction project will be completed on Frazers Road from the Preble County Line to Grubbs-Rex Road for a length of 3 miles. The work includes culvert replacements, pavement and shoulder widening and overall road enhancement. The $777,525 project, now 75% complete by Walls Brothers Asphalt, is being substantially funded by the Ohio Public Works Commission with an estimated County cost in 2013 of $52,000. 

Total Estimated Road Improvement Costs: $ 2,281,880

Total estimated local cost: $2,111,100 (93%) 

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION/ REHABILITATION BY COUNTY EMPLOYEES:  -  One bridge superstructure will be replaced, six bridges will be rehabilitated, and one will be repaired by County personnel during 2013. 

Road      -  Bridge No.  -  Span  -  Width  -  Work  -  Estimated Cost 

Worth  -  C281-0087  -  33’  -  28’   Superstructure Rep   $   65,247

Wasson  -  C123-0211  -  92’  -  24’    Rehabilitation  -  $   44,561

Heller  -  C267-0085  -  90’  -  24’   Rehabilitation  -  $   52,551

New Madison-Coletown    C026-0628  -  88’  -  24’   Rehabilitation  -  $   40,914

Daly  -  C328-0045  -  169’  -  30’    Repair  -  $   35,703

Etter  -  T297-0070  -  32’  -  24’    Rehabilitation  -  $   17,928

Day  -  T177-0202  -  42’  -  24’    Rehabilitation  -  $   19,774

Palestine-Union City  -  C030-0742  -  97’  -  28’    Rehabilitation  -  $   49,898

Total    $ 326,576 

(All Local Funding)

(Force account bridge estimates include the cost of County labor, materials and equipment with large overhead rates on labor and materials as required by state law.) 

In total, an estimated $2,608,456 of road, bridge, and culvert improvements will be made in 2013 to County roads and bridges on County and Township Roads in Darke County with an estimated cost of $2,437,676 (93%) in local funds.