Codington County Highway Department Updates on Construction Safety, Approves Equipment Rate Increase

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The Codington County Highway Superintendent, Randy Falvey, presented updates on ongoing projects, winter readiness, and new equipment rental rates during the County Commission meeting last Tuesday.

Construction Safety Incident on 14th Avenue

Highway Superintendent Randy reported that the bridge replacement project on 14th Avenue in Watertown has begun. He informed the commission of a serious incident at the site, in which an individual drove through the construction barricades.

"Apparently it was a heavily inebriated individual, flew through the barricades there," Falvey stated. He confirmed that a Sheriff's Deputy rescued the individual, who survived the crash. The Superintendent noted the person was fortunate, as the vehicle reportedly deflected off a payloader, preventing a direct collision with a large crane on site.

Falvey urged the public to be aware and cautious of the construction zone on 14th Avenue near 10th Avenue.

The Highway Department completed several projects and is now fully prepared for winter operations:

·        Road Work: Personnel finished applying straight oil pressure chips across roads, including the two miles of 20-4 that were treated this year. Final clean-up and landscaping work, including placing riprap to prevent erosion around culverts, was completed on the Florence projects.

·        Tree and Mowing Work: Full-season roadside mowing has been completed, and the department has finished its seasonal tree removal and clean-up work.

·        New Equipment: The department picked up a new dump truck from Northern Truck in Fargo after the box and hydraulics were installed, making it ready for the upcoming snow season.

·        Winter Prep: All snow equipment, including sanders, has been serviced, with chains and sprockets replaced in preparation for winter weather. Crews were activated last weekend to spread sand at intersections and on hills following an early snow and freezing rain event.

Work on the new truck storage project continues, with the floor and drains installed. The department is waiting for the concrete to cure before proceeding with door framing. They are hopeful the project will be substantially complete by mid-December.

Equipment Rental Rate Increases Approved

The Commission approved Resolution 2025-18, which sets new high-weight and equipment rental fees. This marks the first update to these rates since 2018. The adjustments reflect increased costs, particularly for complex and high-maintenance equipment.

Key rate increases include:

Equipment Category	Old Rate (Per Hour)	New Rate (Per Hour)
Motor Grader Operator & Motor Grader	Increased by $10	$121
Motor Grader, Plow, and Wing (Snow Removal)	Increased by $12	$130
Truck and Plow (Snow Removal)	Increased by $11	$93
Loader Snowblower with Operator	Increased by $32	$199

Randy stated that the county continues to offer these rental services to townships to provide opportunities for local contractors and ensure road work is completed efficiently.

Surplus Equipment Sale

The Commission also approved declaring two items as surplus to be sold through the online auction service, Purple Wave:

1.    A 2002 International Semi-Truck, which was recently replaced.

2.    An old oil distributor (600-gallon capacity), which has also been replaced.