MONROE - Winter weather played havoc with the Green County Highway Department this winter.
Green County Highway Commissioner Dallas Cecil said there are rough spots on the roads.
Road problems are most common at bridge approaches, he said.
Potholes are caused when frost gets under the road. The frost expands and sometimes the pavement pops out, Cecil explained.
"We don't see a lot of huge potholes out there," Cecil said. "There's probably more potholes than normal (after the winter season)."
But potholes are only part of the problem.
Winter maintenance costs were higher than anticipated and budgeted and may have an impact on what road projects are done this summer.
According to Cecil, the Highway Department already had spent $711,000 for 2008 winter maintenance as of March 20. The amount doesn't include how much the county spent for the storm on March 21. The county budgeted $644,000 for winter maintenance for the entire year.
In 2007 the county spent about $1.15 million for winter maintenance while it budgeted $521,000.
Amounts spent and budgeted for the previous three years include:
• 2006: $304,000 spent and $514,000 budgeted
• 2005: $613,000 spent and $458,000 budgeted
• 2004: $387,000 spent and $448,000 budgeted
Record snow across the county, and the fact there were several storms on weekends, were factors in the higher-than-expected maintenance budget.
The higher winter maintenance cost could be covered by using other maintenance funds, such as highway signs, paving or sealcoating roads. Some general maintenance work on county roads scheduled for the summer could be put off until next year, Cecil said.
That can cause problems, too, he added.
"If you put off routine maintenance work it's going to cost you more next year to catch up with what you didn't do this year," he said.
What does and doesn't get done will be decided in the near future after the Green County Highway Committee meets with the Green County Fiancee Committee to see what course of action the county wants to take to resolve the highway maintenance budget deficit.
The Highway Department has planned to do some paving this summer. But Cecil said it's important to remember the projects could change.
In 2008 the Highway Department plans paving projects for:
• County D from County C to Wisconsin 92
• County N from Wis. 81 to Vogel Road
• County N from Tucker Road to County C
Green County Highway Commissioner Dallas Cecil said there are rough spots on the roads.
Road problems are most common at bridge approaches, he said.
Potholes are caused when frost gets under the road. The frost expands and sometimes the pavement pops out, Cecil explained.
"We don't see a lot of huge potholes out there," Cecil said. "There's probably more potholes than normal (after the winter season)."
But potholes are only part of the problem.
Winter maintenance costs were higher than anticipated and budgeted and may have an impact on what road projects are done this summer.
According to Cecil, the Highway Department already had spent $711,000 for 2008 winter maintenance as of March 20. The amount doesn't include how much the county spent for the storm on March 21. The county budgeted $644,000 for winter maintenance for the entire year.
In 2007 the county spent about $1.15 million for winter maintenance while it budgeted $521,000.
Amounts spent and budgeted for the previous three years include:
• 2006: $304,000 spent and $514,000 budgeted
• 2005: $613,000 spent and $458,000 budgeted
• 2004: $387,000 spent and $448,000 budgeted
Record snow across the county, and the fact there were several storms on weekends, were factors in the higher-than-expected maintenance budget.
The higher winter maintenance cost could be covered by using other maintenance funds, such as highway signs, paving or sealcoating roads. Some general maintenance work on county roads scheduled for the summer could be put off until next year, Cecil said.
That can cause problems, too, he added.
"If you put off routine maintenance work it's going to cost you more next year to catch up with what you didn't do this year," he said.
What does and doesn't get done will be decided in the near future after the Green County Highway Committee meets with the Green County Fiancee Committee to see what course of action the county wants to take to resolve the highway maintenance budget deficit.
The Highway Department has planned to do some paving this summer. But Cecil said it's important to remember the projects could change.
In 2008 the Highway Department plans paving projects for:
• County D from County C to Wisconsin 92
• County N from Wis. 81 to Vogel Road
• County N from Tucker Road to County C