Commissioners ask for patience as road repair requests pile up
A creek crossing on County Road 938 in the Toledo community in northwest Ozark County is closed until a low-water bridge can be replaced, according to Ozark County Western District Commissioner Greg Donley. The previous structure was falling apart and had to be removed for safety reasons, said Donley, who added that repairs will start next week. The crossing may be closed until the end of June. Photo courtesy of Greg Donley
The Ozark County Commissioners, in their regular weekly meeting Monday morning, said they have been fielding an increased number of calls from county residents requesting road repairs. Usually, road crews are generally able to respond quickly when someone calls to request a repair, the commissioners said, but with so many more calls now coming in, and with the widespread damage from recent severe weather, residents now are having to wait longer than usual.
“In the past, we’ve been able to put people [who call in] ahead and fix it, but with as many calls as we’ve been having, the road needs to be impassable before we can drop everything and fix it,” said Western District Commissioner Greg Donley.
If a road is impassable or if workers are already in the area they will be happy to respond, he said; otherwise county road crews will stick to their routes, working their way across the county.
“I know it’s kinda tough, but we’ve had so much extreme weather, and the people that don’t call need road work as much as those that do,” said Donley.
”It’s the only way to be fair,” said Eastern District Commissioner Gary Collins, who warned that rainy weather could further delay repairs such as filling potholes.
Ozark Countians with road concerns can call the commissioners at 417-679-4096.