Local residents handed out more plaudits than complaints to

Local residents handed out more plaudits than complaints to resident engineer Don Askew at the annual road hearing held jointly by the Rappahannock supervisors and the highway department at the April board meeting.

Carson Johnson of Sperryville complimented the highway department on a “wonderful job” of maintaining roads in the Piedmont District and Beverly Massie commended the department for work on Route 729 in Jackson District. “The new road surface has held up beautifully,” she noted.

In return, Askew had a few good words for the supervisors, reporting that Rappahannock can expect $293,354 in 1983-84 for secondary roads, a five percent increase over the $280,000 projected in the six-year road improvement plan. “We’re in fair shape...This is the first time in five or six years that projections have been higher than what we planned for,” Askew said. He noted that all improvement projects scheduled for completion in the current fiscal year have been finished with the exception of Route 663, slated to wind up this spring. For 1983-84, the six-year plan calls for improvements to Routes 600, 629 and 729 (to Laurel Mills), Askew said.

“We’ve had a mild winter, except for one major snow storm. There’s been no big freeze, no spring thaw and extensive breakup... It’s always money in the bank when that happens,” the resident engineer said.

E. P. Luke asked when improvements to the bridge on Route 211 between Sperryville and Washington will be completed. “Will it be finished in time for the trafficload at the apple blossoms?”

“Blossoms or leaves?” Askew replied. Bridge improvements are scheduled to be done by July 4, he said, adding that the highway department was more concerned about the traffic that streams through the county to view fall folliage and had accordingly postponed the bridge work from last year