What has happened to the Kosciusko Highway Department?
Living in the same neighborhood for more that 30 years, I have to ask, "What has happened to the Kosciusko Highway Dept.?" Do they still care about the condition or safety of the county roads? Do they care about the people who use these roads?
Back the early 1980s, I remember waking up around 6:30 a.m. to the wonderful sound of the snow plow. The intersections were sanded and Armstrong Road, one of the main snow routes we use daily, was plowed and in good shape. The county roads were as safe as they could be.
Our first significant snow this year was on Dec. 5. Waiting patiently until 9:30 a.m. with no plow, I struggled through two drifts to get to Armstrong Road, which was in poor condition also. The intersections were not sanded and the outside edge (3 feet) of the road had snow buildup. This causes our cars to track to the ditch or tries to throw them out of control. I have great concern for emergency crews who depend on Armstrong to save lives. The county roads were dangerous and unsafe.
Monday morning after the big storm we just had on Dec.16 was no different. Our neighborhood was not plowed, no sanding of the intersections. Armstrong Road looked like it was paved with 3 inches of snow and ice. Our good neighbor, Kevin, with his bobcat, plowed a path out of our neighborhood. My wife and I, as well as our neighbors, would not have made it to work if it were not for his efforts. Thanks, Kevin!
For more than 10 years our neighborhood association had been sending letters and making calls to get the Highway Dept. to fix our roads. Problems included pot holes, collapsing drainage tiles and large sections of missing pavement. Their response was that we were on their list and they would take care of it soon. This list should be a public record and I would like to see it published in Times-Union.
About two years ago, I spoke with a county commissioner. I told him about Mary, our neighbor who is in her 70s. She took walks around our neighborhood using her walker. She is very nice and everyone loves her. Imagine seeing poor Mary lying in the middle of the road after she got her walker stuck in a pot hole. She only had a few scrapes and bruises. Thank God nothing bad happened.
The little talk with our commissioner must have worked. They finally fixed and resurfaced half of the roads in our neighborhood this year. They did a very good job. However, what about the other half?
I'm sure the Kosciusko Highway Dept. has many good people on its staff, but I think the leadership needs to re-evaluate the service they are giving to the hard-working, tax-paying citizens who rely every day on our county roads.
