Plan for road closures
BONNERS FERRY — If the weather forecasters are right, Boundary County drivers could see road closures go into effect early in February. Although front yards or fields may have little or no frost present, compacted roads that have been kept bare do have frost and it is now in the process of thawing from the top down, according to Jeff Gutshall, Boundary County Road and Bridge Superintendent.
Soft saturated roadbeds are soon to follow and this is when asphalt surfaces are most vulnerable to very expensive damage, he says.
“Gravel roads are ruined as well by heavy loads pumping the rock down and the clays upwards similar to what you do when you “float” or trowel liquid concrete,” he says.
“Enforcement of road closures is done to protect your roads from damage. The permit system for hauling on closed roads is the method by which we try to keep essentials moving while minimizing the impact.”
Please plan ahead if you are going to need any of the following:
• Heating oil or propane. Get it now for the next 2 months - the price is right!
• Building materials for your project. Get what you need to keep working on site so you have it. Building is not considered essential! The same goes for concrete.
• Livestock feed. This is essential but expensive transportation with restricted axle weight.
Every year someone wants to haul rock over County Roads during breakup to fix their own road.
“So we are willing to damage the road we all use just to fix individual problems?” Gutshall said.
“I have noticed over the years that loggers seem to be our best cooperative partners during breakup,” Gutshall says. “I think that is because they drive these same roads over and over again and don’t care for the expensive front end and suspension damage to their hard earned investment caused by potholed roads. Also it is no fun driving trucks through potholes! You can’t avoid them very well in a truck.”
Boundary County Road and Bridge lost a major source of revenue this year with the loss of SRS (Forest Service) funding. There will be very little money available for road re-construction. More on this later.
“Those roads may not be much but they move our fire trucks, ambulances and our economy,” Gutshall says. “Let’s plan ahead this year and give ‘em a break.”