Commision approves purchase of road equipment

VALDOSTA -- The Lowndes County Commissioners approved the purchase of equipment for road construction and stabilization projects Friday during a called meeting.

Jim Carter, director of General Projects, requested $123,228 of equipment with special purpose local option sales tax money. He explained to the board that the county has saved money with the construction crew doing the road work and using the surface treatment.

"We discovered that we needed this equipment to build these roads for paving," Carter said. "The hydroseeder and the hayblower were at the only dealer nearby. In fact, they are here in Valdosta on the lot. I don't know of any other in the region."

Carter said the decision to lease the Caterpillar back hoe was twofold. It was cheaper to lease over the life of SPLOST V, and the county already had equipment attachments that are Caterpillar.

Commissioner Richard Lee said he was pleased with the triple surface treatment that is being used by the road crew before traditional asphalt is applied by a contracted road crew.

"Where I live, which is a long, high-volume road, the triple surface treatment surface has held up well," Lee said. "In the last few years, the re-surfacing efforts with the conventional asphalt makes the roads look like any other."

Carter said the triple surface was not new, and its lower cost would save SPLOST dollars. The board voted unanimously to purchase a hydroseeder, hayblower, laser level, seeder, roller and a hydraulic angle boom.



To contact Tanya B. O'Berry, call 244-3400, ext. 239.