Residents will see some paved roads in South Bryan in the coming year, while both ends of the county will likely see improvements to recreation facilities.
According to county administrator Phil Jones, the county’s biggest single project for 2012 will be the paving of Harris Trail Road to Belfast River Road. The county hopes to have all improvements to the dirt portion of that road done before the new Richmond Hill Middle School opens.
The new middle school is set to open some time during the summer just in time for the new school year. Commission Chairman Jimmy Burnsed said although Harris Trail Road will not lead directly to the new school, it will help the flow of traffic going to and from the school.
The Harris Trail project will cost an estimated $1.8 million, and will be funded through several different sources. A Department of Transportation Grant and funds from the special purpose local option sales tax will each provide $500,000 to the cost of the project. Federal funding of $350,000 and $460,000 in proceeds from the sale of the county’s former health department building will also be put towards the project.
Also on the paving agenda for 2012 is a new road from the new middle school to Belfast River Road, which will be complete after permitting from the Army Corps of Engineers.
“As soon as the school gets the wetlands delineation approval, we’ll work on getting the road to the school built,” Jones said.
The county also has some improvements to county recreation facilities on tap for 2012, with initial priority at Hendrix Park in North Bryan, Jones said.

Read more in the Dec. 28 edition of the News.