Kimmel residents see red over oil and chipping layer of gravel

The phone in the Perry County Highway Department has not stopped ringing since crews laid a thin layer of oil and gravel down on what had formerly been a good blacktopped Kimmel Road north of Du Quoin.

It's a county highway, one of 120 miles of county highway and 480 miles of township roads the unit road district maintains. The road runs eight miles between Rt. 51 near Sunset Memorial Park and the Franklin County line to the east. The oil and chipping was done by Illini Asphalt on about 3 1/2 miles of that stretch to seal cracks.

Residents on Kimmel and the side roads like Willow Rd. that lead to Du Quoin City Lake are seeing red and say they are going to the county board to complain.

There's not enough oil under the gravel to keep it in place and with temperatures getting cooler there's little chance of that happening. One resident said a semi-tractor trailer truck fish-tailed on the loose gravel and almost hit her head on. Residents say their cars are peppered by rock kicked up by passing cars. County highway engineer Brian Otten said, "You hit the nail on the head; it's about sealing cracks. It takes 24 hours to cure and it's done." He said, in time, the roughness and loose rock will go away. You have to be patient. The voice of experience or wishful thinking? Time will tell.

A "Loose Gravel" sign warns drivers, but residents say until you have driven Kimmel Road you have no idea how bad it is.