Options offered for fixing Tagus Avenue surface

McLeod County will be seeking quotes to reclaim the surfacing on County Road 54 (Tagus Avenue) to help the road surfacing issues that resulted from a failed trial of a prime, seal and fog coat of the gravel road between County Road 87 (near the Brownton Rod & Gun Club) to County Road 7. The 3.9 miles of road is located on the west side of Lake Marion.
The process, which uses oil, chips and a fog seal, creates a blacktop-like surface. However, the road surface began to break up shortly after it was created.
In early June, the County Board approved the installation of drain tile and outlets to help alleviate some of the water issues. At its Tuesday morning meeting, it further authorized the highway department to get quotes to remove the surface.
Highway Engineer John Brunkhorst said that removing the failed surface will make maintenance easier for the highway department, plus prepare the road for future repairs.
Brunkhorst presented the County Board with two options for repairing the road once the surface is removed.
Because some of the issues with the surface was caused by frost boils, Brunkhorst said one option would be to cut the surface of the road by two feet and then fill it in with granular backfill. The surface would then be primed and seal coated. That could cost between $420,000 and $720,000, Brunkhorst said.
The other option is to do a cement stabilization of the road after the current surface is removed. Brunkhorst said that soil samples have been taken which will assist in the stabilization process. The process meters out a cement sub-layer to even the surface of the road which, again, is primed and sealed.
That cost is estimated at $270,000 to $420,000.
The original prime, seal and fog coat project cost $174,595, which came from the county’s wheelage tax.
For  more, see the July 1 print edition of The Chronicle.