Sutter roadwork in the works

The Sutter County Public Works Department has re-leased the list of roads that will receive $3.8 million worth of new paving this year.

The county's annual Road Plan was formally approved by the Board of Supervisors last week.

In order to evaluate the condition of the county's 790 miles of roads, the Public Works Department uses a three-level rating system, with a ranking of 1 being the worst and 3 being best. The roads that rated a 1, or poor, have significant cracking, such as cracks greater than a quarter-inch wide and "alligator cracking," where numerous cracks connect and break the road into small pieces, similar in appearance to the scales of an alligator.

In the most recent survey, 112 miles of county roads received the 1 rating, compared to 236 miles rated 2, or average, and 279 miles rated 3, or best, Public Works Director Doug Gault told the Board of Supervisors. Gravel and dirt roads in the county system were not included in the evaluation.

This year's Road Plan will repave about 15 miles of roads, most of which received a 1 rating in the evaluation.

Township Road will receive the biggest portion of any road in the county, with $1.42 million in funds for repaving two stretches totaling 4 miles.

Repair funds totaling $2.08 are coming from a Proposition 1B allocation. Another $820,000 are expected to be covered by next fiscal year's Proposition 42 funding allocation, while $600,000 will come from the county's road fund.

Gault told the board Tuesday that he wanted to make changes to the Road Plan in the future.

Primarily, he would like to have the road evaluation be less subjective. Gault also would have the plan be longer-term and determine which roads are projected for work five years into the future.

Currently, the Road Plan projects work for two years.

Contact Appeal reporter Robert LaHue at 749-4713 or rlahue@appealdemocrat.com