Dust in the Wind!

As I was driving along Cedar Lake Road earlier today, I couldn’t help but think of that 70’s classic hit by Kansas called Dust in the Wind. Clouds of dust so thick that, at times, I couldn’t see the vehicle in front of me. It’s that time of year, when our roads are in desperate need of grading, after the potholes awaken from their long winter’s nap. But grading brings all that road dust to the surface and those April showers are nowhere in sight, to help reduce the dust.

From a budget perspective, it’s much too early to treat our roads with chloride for dust control. We have barely enough money in our budget to cover three chloride treatments a year. So, we plan carefully as to when we treat. We usually begin in mid to late May, so that by the time the Memorial Day weekend arrives, our roads are relatively dust-free. The next treatment is scheduled to begin approximately seven weeks later or early July. The third is scheduled for late August or early September depending on road and weather conditions at the time. By the time we reach mid to late September, we are looking forward to the fall rainy season, to keep dust under control.

As I write this, there is no rain in the forecast until the weekend. So, it’s Dust in the Wind until then. Chloride is not an option until mid May, thanks to our budgetary constraints. Besides May flowers, it’s another reason to welcome those April showers!

Dennis Brennan, Supervisor