REEVES COUNTY ROAD & BRIDGE DEP West Texas governmental group plans to improve roadways, giving residents and visitors smoother travel
T
he world’s first rodeo was held in Pecos, Texas — the current county seat of Reeves County — on Independence Day in 1883. At that time, all roads leading to the historic event were made of either dirt or gravel. Nearly 140 years later, there are still several miles of those roads
Anthony Lopez, Road Crew Foreman
in the approximately 2,600-square-mile area that makes up Reeves County. Its Road & Bridge Department is maintaining them, while also actively working to reduce their numbers. In 2015, it began a program to rehabilitate and pave. “We started with 4 miles the first year and have increased the number
Operator Ian Hunt compacts materials with a HAMM HP 280i pneumatic tyre roller. “It’s a nice machine, and I like the comfort in the cab. It’s a smooth ride,” said Hunt.
annually, so now we’re between 70 to 80,” said Anthony Lopez, road crew foreman. “Our plan for 2021 is almost 100 miles. The process involves regrading and compacting, followed by chip sealing. It creates a much better, longer-lasting surface for county residents.” Along with Lopez, key individuals of the Road & Bridge Department field crews include Maintenance Foreman Jaime Mendoza and Maintenance Fleet Foreman Joe Baeza. County Engineer Curtis Wilson and Administrator Gary Rumbaugh are part of the leadership team. Permit Supervisor Joel Martinez, Office Manager Karen Baxter, Administrative Assistant Monette Baeza and Permit Inspectors Desi Duarte and Aurelio Lopez also ensure things run smoothly.
Stretching dollars further Maintaining and rehabbing roads are a couple of ways the nearly 60-member Road & Bridge Department team services the approximately 17,000 residents of Reeves County. Plus, additional workers service the oil and gas industry in the area. Lopez noted that having county crews — it currently has a dirt crew and a chip seal crew — perform the work saves costs and offers greater flexibility than contracting out the work. “It stretches taxpayer dollars and allows us to get more done each year,” stated Lopez. “Additionally, traffic can change from month to month. We may have a road that is in the schedule for some time in the future. If we see that traffic is way down in that area, we can quickly mobilize and start the rehabilitation process instead of waiting until the
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