Highway department considers next steps after Sawbill Trail paving begins to fail

In 2016, it seemed like a good idea.

This summer, the Cook County Highway Department is questioning if an 8-mile section of the Sawbill Trail should still be paved.

Highway Engineer Robbie Hass told the Cook County Board of Commissioners during a public meeting August 8 that the 2016 paving of the Sawbill Trail is already showing significant cracking and other signs of aging. The damage to the roadway is so bad in certain sections that Hass said it could be dangerous to ride a motorcycle on the roadway. Hass said during the meeting the highway department was planning to reclaim the paved section as a gravel road.

However, after taking a tour of the Sawbill Trail August 15, Hass said there are other options rather than simply turning the Sawbill Trail back into a gravel road. One option, he said, could be to repair the road where it is most severely damaged. This would likely cost up to $500,000, and there would be the risk that the road could continue to fail in random sections. The paved section runs 8-miles from Britton Peak to the Honeymoon Trail.

The cost of turning the Sawbill Trail back to a gravel road would cost approximately $500,000, Hass said, essentially matching the cost to repair the road. The county spent more approximately $2.5 million in 2016 paving the road. The 24-mile Sawbill Trail is part of the county state-aid highway system.

Former Cook County Highway Engineer Dave Betts was leading the department when the Sawbill Trail was paved in 2016. The paving was done by a contractor hired from outside the county. Hass said the highway department is unsure why the paving did not take, explaining that other roadways, including the Gunflint Trail, are in much better shape despite being paved years earlier. The fact the paved section of the Sawbilll Trail already has major cracking and considering the road was only paved six years ago is not a good sign for the longevity of the current roadbed, he said.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs accompanied Hass as the highway engineer took a ride up the Sawbill Trail. Friedrichs spoke with Hass afterward and shares a full report in the audio below.

Joe Friedrichs August 17, 2023