Town Has Questions For ATC On Road Usage Plan, Repair Agreement
Last Updated:
September 22, 2011
Too many questions and legal concerns remained for the Town to make a decision on a road repair reimbursement agreement with American Transmission Company.
For now the Town will ask that an ATC representative to be at its October 3 Board meeting to answer questions regarding reimbursement processes, weight limits and transport routes along Town roads. They will also ask that changes to the agreement recommended by Town legal counsel be made by ATC.
Supervisor Mike Kindschi asked if there was language in the agreement that stated ATC would pay for any excessive damage done to the roads during the project. The concern being that heavy equipment that would travel down the roadways would potentially do damage to road foundations. The heaviest vehicle likely to travel along the town roads will be a 175,000 pound crane.
Even with recent videotaping of the roads to log their condition prior to ATC’s use, Public Works Head Jeff Smith said he is still concerned since structural damage isn’t always obvious on the surface. “The problem is that it could damage the road and it won’t show. Roads are like a piece of wire…you bend it enough it breaks. You bend it a lot more when that load is going over it.”
One issue that had Board members scratching their heads was why ATC wants to use a route that would take them down Siggelkow Road rather than traveling what seemed to be a more direct route down County Road AB. With the sharp 90 degree turns and a small bridge over Door Creek that has an 80,000 pound load capacity, Siggelkow seemed to have its disadvantages for such heavy use.
“I have no idea why they want to come that way,” said Smith, wondering why the AB option was not being used. Clerk Kim Banigan said it might be that ATC would prefer to stay on Town roads whenever possible to avoid use and therefore interaction with Dane County.
.But ATC Spokesperson Kaya Freiman said during an email interview that Siggelkow and AB are both identified on their road access map as route options.
“The logic is to give crews multiple options to access areas. Siggelkow Road is an east-west road close to the Beltline and is included so that there are multiple access routes if needed for any situation that may arise”
