Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Weather creates issues for local road projects

Cale weather watcher Davis Benton has reported a total of 3.43 inches of rain for the month of April.

The rainfall of the past few months comes on the heels of several months of extremely dry weather that produced serious conditions for local agriculture and ideal conditions for wildfires. With the recent rainfalls and more predicted for the coming week, the situation in Nevada and surrounding counties is much improved.

One aspect that the rain hasnt helped is the countys spring and summer road plan.

According to Nevada County Judge Baker Butler, the county crews were forced in by rain over the first week of May.

The rain has made it difficult, Butler said. We got to work Monday (April 30). There may be a lot we cant do next week.

Butler said there are three main projects on the countys plan with the Cale Road resurfacing being the biggest. The state will partner in that project, paying 90 percent of the cost, according to Butler.

He said the state plans to let bids on that job on May 23 and that the actual overlay could happen two months later.

Meanwhile, the county is doing some preparation work and Butler said the rain is slowing the progress.

Its going to be wet and muddy and slippery until the rain stops, he said.

The project calls for a new overlay from the Prescott city limits to the point of previous work.

Butler said the county is looking toward two county projects. County Road 31 to Antioch Church will be resurfaced as well as County Road 41.