PARKE COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – With construction season nearly here, Parke County is looking for more highway workers.
Parke County Commissioner Jim Meece said the county is low on highway workers, but assured they’re doing everything that they can to keep up.
“To get that work done, we just need men and women out there doing that work,” Meece said.
Meece explained that much of the road work going on right now is just patching and road repair around the county’s 700 miles of road.
The cost to build skyrocketed last summer due to inflation and prices still have not dropped. Meece reflected on just a few years ago where paving a mile worth of road would cost roughly $100,000. That number has nearly doubled.
“The fact that it takes one million bucks to pave five miles of road is beyond my perception, I can’t even imagine that” Meece stated.
Meece credited the help of community crossing grants and the work of county officials to secure those grants. He explained that these grants are very beneficial in keeping Parke County roads up-to-date.
On the state level, INDOT officials said that they’re managing inflation, in large part to infrastructure investments made by the Indiana Legislature. In a statement, Public Relations Director Megan DeLucenay said that no projects have been canceled due to inflation.
“INDOT has not had to cancel any projects due to inflation,” DeLucenay said. “We have seen higher material costs and bids from contractors as a result.”
Meece thanked the work of highway officials. He said they’re working around the clock to keep your roads safe.
