Public works crew improving 23rd Street

Fort Scott Public Works Street Department foreman Chad Brown (upper right) operates the milling machine used to remove the existing asphalt from 23rd St. on Wednesday. From left -- street supervisor Todd Farrell and crew member Dennis Cannon assist Brown with the process by measuring the asphalt already removed. Farrell hopes to have the road finished and open again by Friday evening. Tribune photo/Rayma Silvers

Todd Farrell, street supervisor with the Public Works Department, and his crew are working long hours in order to repair the streets of Fort Scott.

Among the city workers who maintain and resurface Fort Scott's streets are Farrell, crew foreman Chad Brown, Eric Atwood, Kenneth Banner, Dennis Cannon, Jeff Chaplin, Buzz Haupe, Rick Hurd, Doug Kelsey and Scott Zimmerman. Since Monday, the crew has been laboring through long days in various weather conditions in order to re-asphalt 23rd street, running west from South Main (U.S. Highway 69). Farrell said he wants to get this particular street finished in record time because of the townwide garage sale coming up on Sept 15.

"People are worried that this street will not be opened in time for the townwide garage sale," he said.

Farrell said that he and his crew are working 12-hour days in hopes that they will be able to have the road opened by Friday night. Earlier in the week, Farrell's crew worked during the rain showers that poured over Fort Scott, he said.

The lunch breaks that the men take are quite different than the lunch hour these men would normally take, Farrell said.

"We have been working straight through the day. I allow one man at a time to grab a sandwich and eat it while the other men keep working. This way we can continue working," he said.

In order to lay new asphalt down on a road properly, first the old asphalt must be taken off the road. According to Farrell, this is called milling. The street department has a milling machine that is used to break the existing asphalt up and remove it from the road. The crushed asphalt is removed from the road site, but it isn't discarded. Instead it is stored for recycling, Farrell said.

"We use the old asphalt to fill in holes and even out parking lots," he said.

During the milling process, the team can make the road flatter by removing any existing bumps in the road. Farrell said that this will make the road more even than it was before. It will make the drive along 23rd St. a smoother experience, he said.

As soon as the milling is complete, the street crew will need to sweep the road. Clean-up must be completed before the new asphalt can be laid down, Farrell said.

Farrell and Public Works Director Eric Bailey had discussed leaving one lane on 23rd St. open during the road construction. However, Farrell said, the idea was rejected by both men to ensure the safety of the workers and motorists. Though motorists may be inconvenienced for a short time, they will remain safe, he said.