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Cummings: Culvert project is part of plan

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By James Cummings, Staff Writer 1:22 AM Saturday, June 13, 2009

In February, when President Barack Obama signed into law legislation authorizing spending $787 billion on public works projects to stimulate the economy, many people had visions of grand scale constructions — dams, super highways, maybe a bridge or two to nowhere.

But the project that’s likely to be the first local work paid for with stimulus dollars is about as humble as they come: replacement of a culvert in rural Preble County for $159,178.

Actually, most of the stimulus package projects being funded in the Miami Valley are of the homely little culvert-replacement or road-repaving type, local officials say. But an extra government job can mean a lot to a construction company looking for contracts and to the people those companies hire.

Perry Walls, president of Walls Brothers Asphalt in Brookville, said his company got one of two stimulus package projects it bid on. Walls said it’s too early to tell if he’ll need to expand his crew of about 40 for the half-million dollar project.

“But it will keep my people working a couple weeks,” he said. “Of course, it’s a positive for us.”

The first stimulus package project likely to break ground in the Dayton area will be U.S. 40 in Monroe Twp., Preble County, just east of Ohio 726, said Sharon Smigielski, public information officer, Ohio Department of Transportation District 8.

She said the culvert under the two-lane road is deteriorating on one side. A culvert is a conduit that allows a stream or creek to flow under a roadway, Smigielski said. Small culverts can be made from corrugated metal pipe, but the one to be replaced is a rectangular concrete tube.

Brumbaugh Construction of Arcanum has the $159,178 contract to replace the culvert. Smigielski said the project is likely to start in July and must be completed by August.

Preble County Engineer J. Stephen Simmons isn’t very enthusiastic about the culvert replacement. He said the work is needed, “but I have 50 things in Preble County I would consider a higher priority.”

Simmons said he was disappointed because so many of the projects proposed for stimulus funding in the county haven’t made the cut yet. “I’d hate to think politics are involved,” he said, “but we are a Republican majority county here.”

Four stimulus projects in ODOT District 7, which includes Montgomery County, are likely to begin in early July, according to Rex Dickey, district deputy director.

They include two resurfacing projects, a culvert replacement and an intersection improvement totalling about $1.4 million.

Nothing fancy, but all work that needed to be done, Dickey said. And locals will be employed.

ODOT asks those interested in jobs associated with the stimulus work to check for online postings at www.OhioMeansJobs.com.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2395 or jcummings @DaytonDailyNews.com.

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