Dubois County Crews Tackle Widespread Road Damage After Harsh Winter

Crews from the Dubois County Highway Department fanned out across all three county road districts last week, working to cut out and replace sections of roadway left soft and unstable by a winter that cycled relentlessly between freezing and thawing.

The department operates a staff that includes two mechanics maintaining a fleet of 64 motorized vehicles, and those crews are responsible for a county road system of 660 miles, made up of 384 miles of hot mix asphalt, 143 miles of chip seal surface, 112 miles of gravel and 21 miles of dirt roads. That sprawling network took a serious beating this winter, and Superintendent Donnie Lueken's crews moved quickly once conditions allowed repair work to begin.

Lueken reported that workers across all three highway districts were tasked with ripping and digging out soft and otherwise damaged road sections, a method that removes deteriorated material entirely rather than patching over the surface. The approach is more labor-intensive but addresses the structural failure beneath the pavement, not just the visible damage above it.

The culprit is a familiar one for southern Indiana. The region experienced a significant freeze-thaw cycle this winter, which is the most dangerous time for road surfaces. As the ground thaws from the surface down, melting snow and ice create a layer of water-saturated soil trapped between the asphalt and the still-frozen ground below, giving the road foundation significantly reduced strength. Heavy loads traveling over these weakened foundations can cause immediate rutting, large potholes, and deep cracks that are costly to repair and dangerous for smaller vehicles.

Fall and winter operations for the Dubois County Highway Department include ditch management, shoulder berming, bridge and culvert replacement, crack seal repair, and snow and ice removal. Spring brings a different kind of workload, with crews shifting from keeping roads passable to rebuilding what the cold months left behind.

The Highway Department operates from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with repair work across the three districts continuing as road conditions allow. Residents who encounter damaged sections can contact the department at (812) 482-5505.