County commissioners to get list of roads scheduled for paving

The N.C. Department of Transportation is proposing to spend nearly $1.5 million paving all or parts of 14 gravel roads scattered throughout the county.

District Engineer Chris Corriher will present the paving list to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners on July 9, a Monday.

An official from the Division 9 office in Winston-Salem is scheduled to be on hand to discuss the plans with commissioners.

Road repair is one of the most frustrating subjects for commissioners. For the past couple of years, Rowan roads have been ranked the worst in the state.

The paving list is a separate issue from maintenance, but commissioners may join the public in venting their anger at transportation officials.

Commissioners have no authority over the paving list, but state law requires that transportation officials present it to commissioners at a public meeting.

The paving list includes roads primarily in the western, southern, southwestern and southeastern areas of the county. At least one of the roads has been a sore subject for China Grove officials during the past few years.

Residents of Eudy Road have constantly complained about their road. Part is paved; part isn’t. Eudy Road is on the list for the coming year.

For every road that has made the paving list for the upcoming year, there are a half dozen more still waiting to work their way up the priority list used by the Department of Transportation.

Roads included in the 2001-2002 paving list by name, and the length of proposed paving in miles are as follows:

• Tom Barber Road, near Woodleaf, .5 mile, grade, base and pave, $100,000.
• Cornelius Road, north of Rockwell, .35 mile, $50,000 complete funding.
• Cool Springs Road, north of Woodleaf, 1.10 mile, $110,000 complete funding.
• McCleave Road, west of Landis, .15 mile, grade, base and pave, $35,000.
• Virgil Goodnight Road, off N.C. 150 near Millbridge; grade, base and pave, $70,000.
• Eudy Road, between Landis and China Grove, .25 mile, complete funding, $40,000.
• Aqua Lane, west of Enochville, complete funding, $40,000.
• Brooks Road, west of Rockwell, .40 miles, complete funding, $60,000.
• Freeze Road, west of Enochville, .15 mile, complete funding, $30,000.
• Hilbert Road, south of Rockwell, .23 mile, grade, base, pave, $60,000.
• School Street, west of Cleveland, .15 mile, grade, base, pave, $50,000.
• Stoltz Road, southwest of Rockwell, .40 mile, grade base, pave, $95,000.
• Reeves Island Road West, Gold Hill area near the Stanly County line, .60 mile, complete funding, $30,000.
• French Belk Road, near the Iredell County line off N.C. 801, 1.30 mile, complete funding, $250,000.

At least three of the roads, Cornelius Road, Virgil Goodnight Road and Eudy Road, were priority projects in 1997, but right of way could not be obtained or total funding was not available.

Another, McCleave Road, was on a hold list. Right of way is now available.

Completion of the projects depend on the availability of right of way. If it is not available, the Department of Transportation will go to the next road on the priority list.

Transportation officials have posted the list and map at the courthouse.

The meeting with commissioners will be at 9 a.m. in the J. Newton Cohen Sr. Meeting Room, County Administrative Offices Building, 130 W. Innes St.

Contact reporter Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254 or jburchette@salisburypost.com .