An article in the Aug 4 issue of The Advocate (Stamford) titled “Rising Costs of Asphalt Curbs Projects” predicts “bumpier roads ahead” as public works officials put the brakes on paving. It confirms what we have been saying about the potential consequence of the dramatic rise in asphalt prices. The article quotes Public Works Senior Engineer Tiger Mann:
“We’re not going to be able to pave as many miles and do as much work because we’re paying more for materials,” said Tiger Mann…
That shouldn’t surprise anyone. The cost of the liquid asphalt binder is 97% higher than it was in March when the road repair appropriation and bonding were passed by the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance (it had already risen slightly by the time the Town Council approved the appropriation and bonding a week later).
In The Advocate article, Ray Oneglia, vice chairman of Fairfield County’s main asphalt supplier (O&G Industries), said the problem is compounded because energy is also consumed in the manufacture of asphalt. Escalating the cost of road repair still further is the fact that trucks and other equipment used in paving run on diesel fuel, which is…up.
Repair of the South Avenue sidewalks was approved as part of this year’s Public Works budget. While we are told that “it’s more cost effective to repair the Main Street sidewalks when the road is repaved,” that doesn’t justify why NEW sidewalk construction should be funded by a bond issue for Phase III of “a pavement management plan for the Town of New Canaan’s network of roads.”
We think the Town should be stretching that bond issue as far as asphalt prices will allow to maintain our network of roads.
Constructing new sidewalks so residents can walk to town may undoubtedly be a good thing, but it should be weighed in the context of the Town’s budget process against all the other good things, not slipped into an appropriation (and bond issue) stipulated to maintain our network of roads. We suspect the fire department and others whose budgets were cut this year might have some alternative ideas.
UPDATE 9/18/08 – This week’s Conn DOT posting shows a 151% increase in the cost of liquid asphalt binder material since March (that’s 2 1/2 times greater). The binder accounts for roughly 6% of the total cost of asphalt, which translates into a 9% increase in the cost of asphalt since March.
UPDATE 10/16/08 – With droping oil barrel price levels, the cost of liquid asphalt has come down slightly, but it has a long way to go before it falls to last spring’s level. This week’s posting shows a 137% increase in the cost of liquid asphalt binder material since March.
Main St. New Canaan Property Owners 