There are roughly 271,000 lane miles of roadway in Florida, only 44,000 of which are located on the State Highway System. The remaining 84% of roadways fall under local jurisdiction for operation and maintenance. In rural counties, limited budgets often mean reduced or no roadway maintenance, unfortunately resulting in an increased rate of deterioration.
To offer assistance to rural counties with infrastructure improvements, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) created the Small County Outreach Program (SCOP) and Small County Road Assistance Program (SCRAP) in 2000. These grant funding programs allow qualifying local municipalities to prioritize their need and seek funding for roadway resurfacing and associated safety improvements.
Supporting the surrounding agricultural demand, maintaining rural “farm to market” roadways is vital to local commerce. These projects are more than just “making the roadway black again”. They require understanding of local needs and being cognizant of the allotted budget. Well planned and executed roadway rehabilitation extends the life of the facility, reduces future maintenance costs to the local municipality, while enhancing the safety of the traveling public.
Johnson Engineering has provided these services for several local municipalities, providing design and construction inspection services for more than 70 lane miles of roadway rehabilitation in the last five years. We are able to bridge the gap between the needs of the rural municipality and the expectations and design requirements of FDOT, so that all taxpayers see a benefit.
For more information contact Ryan Bell, PE, PTOE at (239) 334-0046 or [email protected].