Paving The Road To The Globe Bridges
Last year as we approached Thanksgiving, the subject of our conversation always seemed to circle around to rain. When would we get whatever precipitation we were going to get? Would it be enough to ease the drought? Would it simply be another dry year and do nothing to ease the burden of an all-too-dry state?
On the second and third of November we were blessed with a quarter inch of rain, the first moisture seen since April 22, a long and dry six and one-half months earlier. Five days later we got a wonderful four days of rain, bringing us an additional 1.53 inches. This was a good start, but all too often we've seen a solid start to the rainy season, followed by a much too lengthy dry period.
For the next three weeks we waited in vain for more rain. Thanksgiving remained dry, and we quickly moved into December. The grass on the hills had sprouted but now was needing more moisture to continue to grow.
Fortunately December proved to be wonderfully wet. Before New Year's Day, we had 4.64 inches additional, including a wet 2.21 inches right after Christmas. It was beginning to look as if it might even be a better than average rain year.
Over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, we got a little more than two inches, followed by off and on rain for several days while the Tule River continued to rise. By the morning of January 10, the rain on the snow in the high country and the continual rain on the foothills had caused major problems. The river had risen rapidly doing a great deal of damage to many homes and people's lives. The evening of January 9, the flooding Tule had closed the Upper Globe Bridge. The water level rose so quickly the effort to remove the railings had to be abandoned for safety of the workers. Lower Globe Bridge was also breeched. However within a few days it was able to be put back in operation. Because of the damage Upper Globe was to remain closed for the next 40 weeks.
The amount of rain on the foothills was much more than adequate, for the month of January brought us a total of 6.99 inches. The year-todate total rose to 13.40 inches, which exceeded our average 12 inches per year. But, by the end of March, we had more than doubled that total, which resulted in closing the Lower Globe Bridge also. This would keep it closed until three weeks ago. The second flood water also destroyed a quarter mile of Globe Drive through the river bottom leading to the Upper Globe Bridge.
Conversation around our community reflected little hope the county would be able to get either of the Globe bridges open before next summer. Since those of us living along the length of Globe Drive do have a way to get out, we assumed we'd just have to be patient. There was so much work to be done on so many different roads and bridges, we thought our bridges would have to wait.
And then … and THEN … Agee Construction came in and with a few days work, both Globe Bridges were once again opened. Even the quarter mile of river bottom road was bulldozed and bladed smooth after many loads of gravel were put down.
Even though I was told the gravel road surface would “probably” be paved before winter, it seemed a bit unlikely. It would be cold mix asphalt so not as durable as hot mix. But when I drove down my driveway on Friday last week to find a paving machine unloaded there, I was greatly surprised. As I started toward the river I met a pickup with his flashers blinking. Kevin told me they were definitely going to pave Upper Globe's now-gravel road on Monday, and Lower Globe on Tuesday. The gravel surface of the area through the river bottom has been becoming increasingly “washboarded” with many ripples in the surface. This will be smoothed before it's paved.
The gravel at the edge of both existing bridge boxes will be removed so six inches of the cold mix asphalt can be placed right at the bridge. Kevin explained on Upper Globe the asphalt will taper down from six inches at the edge of the box, to three inches thick at 30 feet out and for the remainder of the river bottom area. Next summer when they plan to complete this job, they will remove the three inches of cold mix, replacing it all with six inches of hot mix asphalt. This will raise the level of the paved road by three inches.
I asked Kevin how much asphalt would be required to complete the approaches to the bridge plus the quarter mile of river bottom. He had eight trucks lined up and was planning on them each making four round trips. Even though this is temporary, it will get us through the upcoming winter without pot-holes in the gravel.
By the time you read this column online on Wednesday (or have it emailed to you), or receive the Recorder which is mailed to you on Thursday, both Globe Bridges will be open with newly-paved approaches.
Agee Construction Corporation out of Clovis is doing the road repairs here on Globe Drive. They also have the contract to continue the road repair work on the Reservation, as well as the multitude of areas in the mountains which come under County Roads responsibility.
All of the best plans, forecasts and hard work may be scuttled when winter sets in. As we look toward our rainy season many questions remain. The best efforts of Agee and County Roads may not be enough if the water level rises to flood stage once again. If the rip-rap rocks along the approach to the bridges keep them from washing out, the repairs may be minimal. At the very least, it will be interesting to see what happens.