By Eason Franklin
The Lowndes Signal

Construction along County Roads 6 and 26 are nearing completion Lowndes County Engineer David Butts said this week.

Workers are waiting for AT&T to relocate phone lines along County Road 6 before the project is finally completed.

“Contractors have assured me that they are about two weeks away from completion,” Butts said.

The hump at the railroad crossing will be removed and replaced with rubber, followed by the installation of lights and crossing rails, added Butts.

County Commissioners Charlie King, Jr and Robert Harris voiced concerns regarding the county’s cost for fuel, materials and loads being transported to the construction sites.

“I see that our gas usage total is on the high side and the gravel is on the high dollar side,” said Harris. “When we look at the cost of the material itself, the numbers are not, in my mind, adding up.”

Butts stated he would be looking into the numbers and diary of construction crews to determine if the figures have been reported correctly.

“Once I send the trucks to that district, I’m not in control of how many loads there are,” said Butts. “We should have more loads than what we have.”

Additional road projects are in the works, however those projects are not expected to begin until 2011.

Geographical technicians are currently monitoring County Road 37 in Ft. Deposit to determine the cause of the road washing out.

Crews are also looking to repave County Road 7 in the Minter community following the Christmas holidays.

Butts noted the county has received an example of a completed road from Geneva County to assist with the road work along County Road 7.