Resident Critical of St. Clair Area Road

A St. Clair area resident Tuesday complained that the county hasn’t been properly maintaining his road, but county officials said they are unsure if the road is even owned by the county.

Ron Winkler, a Peacock Place resident, said his road has numerous ruts, likely caused by heavy truck traffic to and from a nearby asphalt plant.

He said concrete road expansion joints underneath the road have created bumps which ruin vehicle suspensions.

“This is an ongoing problem. It has been for years,” Winkler said. “County crews have traveled this road many times. It is disappointing that the men in the field haven’t reported it.”

Winkler said he understands that the county is short on money, but said work done on the road has been poorly done or incomplete.

He was critical of the county highway department, saying resources are being wasted and that there is a lack of oversight.

Eva Gadcke, the county’s highway administrator, said she isn’t sure if the entire section of road Winkler referred to is maintained by the county.

She offered to meet with Winkler after the public meeting.

Presiding Commissioner John Griesheimer said commissioners would look into Winkler’s concerns.

“I’m not going to blow smoke. We take these issues seriously and they’re not going to go unnoticed,” Griesheimer said.

He said the highway department has more oversight now that Gadcke is in charge.

Gadcke has only been in charge of the department for a few months, having previously worked as the county’s public works administrator.