A McElmo Canyon paving project on Montezuma County Road G has stalled, leading to risky driving and longer commutes.
Scheduling and financial issues on the chip-seal project have stalled its completion, said Montezuma County Road Manager Rob Englehart.
He said the project remains on schedule, but the county hadn’t foreseen that a grinder contractor would finish the job three weeks ahead of schedule.
“We estimated it would take four to five weeks, but it took them just one week,” he said.
In the meantime, the stretch of road from County Road 21 to County Road J is in rough condition while it awaits a chip-seal layer, and the $176,000 in grant money to pay for the material has not arrived.
“We realize the road is rough and are asking for patience out there,” he said. “If we proceed before we receive the grant, we lose it.”
Oil contracts and delivery were secured in January and scheduled for payment in July, Englehart said. The project began in late March.
The money is expected to be freed up soon and the chip-seal layer installed and completed in early July.
The road’s substructure was damaged, and it had to be torn out. A layer of gravel was laid, and magnesium chloride applied to hold it together before the chip-seal layer.
For residents and commuters, the road has become a challenge.
“It’s pretty rough, and takes longer to get to town and back,” said Jessie Harrison, a McElmo Canyon resident. “The county is doing the best they can, but the public’s not always cooperating.”
He said people have been speeding through the construction zone, and some drivers have lost control in the gravel and slid off the road.
