County highway work hammered by inflation, newly endangered bats

Feb. 7—MANKATO — When Public Works Director Ryan Thilges gave his monthly update to county commissioners Tuesday he apologized in advance.

"I'm going to be a bit of a Debbie Downer."

Thilges then laid out two big obstacles to getting bigger road projects done this year — inflation and the northern long-eared bat.

Last November the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reclassified the bat from threatened to endangered. Last month the agency issued rules related to the new listing.

The bats are active from April 1 to Oct. 31 in Minnesota. Thilges said that means the disturbance or removal of trees will be prohibited during that time.

"We were able to take trees down until June 1, but now the window from April to June is gone."

He said a reconstruction project planned for County Road 16 this summer will hopefully stay on track. The county has purchased most of the right-of-way needed and has put out bids to clear trees before the March 31 deadline.

But he said a road project on County Road 13, from Highway 169 to County Road 1, will probably have to be delayed until 2024.

The county is still getting right-of-way. "It will be nearly impossible to clear trees before March 31."

He said the project also was relying on state bridge bonding money to help fund about $1 million of a new bridge. But the Legislature failed to pass a bonding bill last session.

And inflation has jacked up the price of the project from an estimated $7.5 million to $10 million now.

"Our staff believes it's best to wait until 2024." He said that will give the county more time to line up tree removal and other work and hope there is a bonding bill out of this year's Legislature.

Thilges said the county doesn't have a known population of the bats, the closest known being in northeast Le Sueur County.

In the last five years, a foreign fungus causing a deadly condition called white-nose syndrome has killed upwards of 95% of Minnesota's northern long-eared bats.

Two other species of Minnesota hibernating bats — tri-colored and little brown — also are on the brink of extinction and under consideration for the endangered list. Bat populations have declined in 38 states and eight Canadian provinces where the fungus has spread.

The listing of the long-eared bat as endangered has northern Minnesota counties and loggers changing the times they can cut trees.

Inflation pressure

Beyond the bats, Thilges said inflation and other issues in the marketplace are going to reduce how much the county can do each year.

He said a one-mile bituminous overlay of a two-lane road has jumped from $125,000 to $150,000.

"And concrete box culverts are incredibly challenging right now. In the past year we've seen a 50% increase." And because international conglomerates have bought up many manufacturers and reduced hours because of labor shortages, there is a nine month wait to get box culverts, where it used to take just weeks or a month to get them.

Thilges said bridge replacement costs are up 25% in the last two years while traffic signals are up 31%.

Equipment costs are up 25% and salt to deice roads is up 20%.

"We're getting a lot less buying power with our dollars. If it seems we're getting a lot less work out the door this is why."

Commissioner Vance Stuehrenberg said the higher cost of petroleum, used to make blacktop and run equipment, also hits roads hard.

"I think everyone understands inflation is hitting everyone," he said.