• Sonny Long •
• Originally published January 27, 2009 at 9:02 a.m., updated January 27, 2009 at 9:02 a.m.

CUERO - Jim Cook's 1961 Morris Minor bounced along Verhelle Road in DeWitt County. He dodged potholes when he could, but that wasn't always possible.

"We have potholes in our potholes and patches on our patches. Putting patches on this road is like putting perfume on a pig - it just doesn't last long and doesn't do much good," said the 57-year-old gun dealer who has lived on the road about 20 years.

The problem is the 100 to 150 big trucks that go back and forth daily on the road to gravel pits and oil and gas rigs, Cook said. A loaded gravel truck could weigh about 80,000 pounds.

"There used to be a load limit sign on this road that said 55,000 pounds, but someone took it down," said James White, who has lived on the road about four years.

Another sign, warning drivers of the dangerous road was put up by someone, but removed last week by DeWitt County County Commissioner Curtis Afflerbach.

"The sign was not an authorized sign. An individual made it and put it up there," the commissioner said. "We try to stick as closely to state guidelines as we can on our signs. I would have come closer to leaving it up if it had said rough road instead of dangerous road."

As Cook's car continued down the one and one-fourth miles of blacktop, another big pothole jolted the car.

"It's kind of aggravating. How would you like to do this every day," Cook asked.

Cook is circulating a petition among the 15 residents who live along the paved portion of Verhelle Road in the 100-acre Turkey Hollow subdivision. The petition asks Afflerbach to maintain the road better.

The petition states that the condition of the road is "unsatisfactory, intolerable and unsafe" and "an obstacle course of potholes."

"We request that Verhelle Road be properly paved and regularly maintained or that taxes be reduced to compensate us for damages and reduced value," the petition adds.

"There's money somewhere for this. I bet if Afflerbach or the county judge lived down this road, they'd find some funds," Cook said. "Our property tax bill says county road fund on it, but we're not getting anything out of it."

Afflerbach said the maintenance of the road has been a problem for a long time.

"That road was torn up when I took office four years ago," said the Precinct 1 commissioner, now in his second term. "We've been patching it. It's too expense to tear up and rebuild. We're trying to fix the weak spots. We'll stay after it."

Another problem on the road, Cook said, is that the big trucks drive in the middle of the road because the edges are so torn up and they travel at unsafe speeds.

"They don't care about the speed at all," Cook said. "They do 50, 55. If you don't stay in the middle, you're in trouble. It's getting to the point that these truck drivers don't want to drive in their own potholes, so they stay right in the middle and you have to get off to the side. I don't think you'd call that safe conditions."

If a speed limit sign is not posted on a county road, then the speed limit is 60 mph, said DeWitt County Sheriff Jode Zavesky.

On Jan. 12 Mark Giles, a Corpus Christi lawyer who is building a home on Charco Road near Yorktown, appeared before the commissioners court asking for maintenance assistance on his road.

"Since I've owned the place, about two and one-half years, about 20 oil wells have been drilled along the road," Giles said. "The oil traffic is just unbelievable."

Giles, who is moving his law office to Cuero in the near future, said the road is well maintained in front of his home. The problems are the clouds of dust and the rocks.

"The road needs to be paved, and of course the question is how do you go about achieving that," Giles said. "There have also been numerous tire problems because of the torn up rocks caused by the big trucks."

If the trucks have been issued overweight load permits by the state, they share liability for fixing roads damaged on their routes, Giles said.

State law backs up Giles.

The Texas Transportation Code, Section 251.160, states, "A person who operates a vehicle . on a public road . and the owner of the vehicle are jointly . liable for damage sustained by the road . as a result of the negligent operation or moving of the vehicle . over the road."

The county can take legal action to recover damages in order to repair the road.

County Commissioner John Oliver, in whose precinct Charco Road lives, said, "If we could come up with the money to buy the materials, I would be glad to furnish the labor to do that."

In neighboring Goliad County, contacting the oil company involved, in more than one case, resulted in assistance in repairing a county road, said Goliad County Attorney Rob Baiamonte.

Cook wants help to fix Verhelle Road no matter where the funds comes from.

"The gravel and oil companies should help pay to maintain the road. If they want to have a load limit and pay to carry heavier loads or if they want to back off the loads so they don't tear them up, that's OK, too. There's got to be an answer," Cook said.

• State assistance

  Counties receive materials from the Texas Department of Transportation to assist with repair of county roads. For fiscal year 2009, DeWitt County will receive $23,135 worth of "flex base." Precinct 1 will receive 213 tons, Precinct 2 will ...

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State assistance

Counties receive materials from the Texas Department of Transportation to assist with repair of county roads. For fiscal year 2009, DeWitt County will receive $23,135 worth of "flex base." Precinct 1 will receive 213 tons, Precinct 2 will get 239 tons, Precinct 3, 415 tons, and Precinct 4, 170 tons.

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