Cummings Sees Slow Progress on Roads

RISON - County Judge Jimmy Cummings informed the Cleveland County Quorum Court Monday night that the county road department has a challenge on its hands trying to repair county roads in the wake of an extended winter storm followed by heavy rain. "I think the gravel roads are about as bad as I have seen," Cummings told the qourum court, specifically mentioning the number and severity of potholes around the county. Cummings said the paved county roads seemed to have held up better than expected, though later in the meeting he announced that the county will be looking to convert four paved roads to unpaved surfaces due to the deterioration of those roads. He said roads crews have been busy patching holes along the paved roads as well. One major issue in grading roads is the lack of equipment, Cummings said. The road department has been without one if its graders since last summer after it caught fire and burned along the side of Hwy. 79 in Kingsland. The quorum court approved buying a new grader during Monday night's meeting using some of the insurance money from the burned grader to help pay for it. In an interview after the meeting, Cummings said the road department usually has four graders to handle the more than 600 miles of unpaved roads in the county. He said those four graders are strategically placed around the county to regularly grade the roads in that area: one for the areas north of the Saline River and Big Creek in the Rison area; one along the east side of the county; one to cover the areas west of the Saline River and north of Kingsland; and one to handle the roads west of the Saline River and south of Kingsland. With using three graders to handle the same area that was previously served by four means many roads are not being graded as frequently. Cummings said once the new grader is delivered, the road department will be able to resume its usual grading schedule. During Monday night's meeti...